One Small Step
by Shawny Wong
Summary: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step. NaruHina. Written for the Thirty Kisses community on Live Journal.
1. Chapter 1: Butterfly Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step 

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #14 radio-cassette player

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Butterfly Kiss**

Naruto had the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. They were like the summer sky, like the tropical sea, and endlessly blue. Hinata thought privately – for she would never dare voice this aloud – that his eyes were more striking than any Hyuuga eyes could ever hope to be. The pale pupiless eyes of her family's vaunted bloodline were cold, prideful, and intimidating. Naruto's eyes were the exact opposite; they were warm, vibrant, and full of life. Naruto's eyes were almost _too_ pretty for a boy, she decided. Long, full eyelashes that curled up at the tips framed sapphire orbs. She could spend all day daydreaming about his eyes.

Naruto was almost the exact antithesis to the Hyuuga. Her clan was stern, almost cold; dignity was to be preserved at all costs; rules were to be adhered to at all times. With their unique silver-white eyes and dark hair, the Hyuuga were unmistakably the elite of the elite and the pride of Konoha. Naruto, on the other hand, was anything but. He was an unrecognized orphan with no background. He _embodied_ chaos and_ flaunted_ the rules. It seemed fitting that, physically, he was as far from a Hyuuga as it was possible to get. He had sun kissed golden hair – not brown or black – and adorable whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks. And he was so _strong_! He seemed to bounce back from any obstacle with little to no effort. Whenever he got knocked down, he got right back up and kept going. He was like no one else she'd ever met in her short life.

He was everything she'd ever wanted to be.

It was no wonder she developed a horrible crush on him the instant she'd seen him.

Currently, she was in class trying desperately – with limited success – to keep her focus on Iruka-sensei's lesson, instead of on her blond classmate. She couldn't afford to miss a thing! She was only in her second year at the academy, but already her performance shamed her father and her clan. Last year, she had received decent scores all across the board and been ranked somewhere in the upper-middle of her class. But for the Hyuuga, a _decent_ score was abysmal – a Hyuuga should ace any test of skill or knowledge – and to rank around the middle of her class was an embarrassment – a Hyuuga should easily be able to surpass his (or her) peers. This held doubly true for the Hyuuga heiress. She _needed_ to do better this year. If she failed to score perfect marks this year… She didn't even _want_ to imagine what her punishment would be. She shuddered inwardly. 

It didn't help matters that her cousin Neji – who was just one year older than her – had ranked first in his class. He had out performed all his peers, seemingly without any effort. Already, he was hailed as the next great genius of her generation – and he was only eight! To make matters worse, he was the prodigy of the Hyuuga _branch_ family – while she was the heiress of the Hyuuga main family. 

The lesson of the day was memory retention techniques used by shinobi in the field. Iruka-sensei was going over various mind games to strengthen memory recall and different ways to memorize information quickly. It was intriguing. She could see useful applications for these memory tricks outside of the shinobi field. For instance, she could use them to remember all the guests (by name and title) at the formal political dinners with her family that she was forced to meet and greet. She could also use them to memorize names and qualities of medicinal plants.

"Naruto! Pay attention!" barked Iruka-sensei, as he threw an eraser at the blonde. The class snickered as the eraser hit him in the face. (The blond boy had apparently been simultaneously preparing spitballs, folding paper airplanes, and carving the words "Sasuke Sucks!" on his desk with a kunai. Naruto took multitasking to a whole new level.)

"These memory retention techniques are very important for a ninja! And they're especially important for you! You can use them to help you remember your lessons and homework assignments, especially since you seem to keep forgetting everything I say!"

"But Iruka-sensei…"

"No buts, Naruto. If you're going to be a ninja…"

"I am!"

"If you're going to be a ninja," Iruka continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "then you'll need to be able to remember mission details after only hearing them once. You'll need to memorize names, faces, ranks and techniques from the Bingo Book. And what if you're sent on an espionage mission? After you infiltrate the enemy's base, you'll need to memorize exact numbers of enemy ninja and escape routes. If you discover their plans and strategies, you'll need to memorize those, too. You'll need to do all this _without_ writing any of it down."

"Hai, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said with a gusty sigh, rubbing his head where the eraser had struck.

"Cheer up, Naruto. You can also use these techniques to memorize my lectures." Iruka grinned. "Tell you what. If you can prove to me that you've mastered these memory retention techniques… I'll let you get away without taking notes in class for a week – because I'll assume you will memorize the lectures instead."

"All right, Iruka-sensei! Why didn't you say so before?" Naruto pumped his fist in the air. Hinata almost giggled at his behavior. He was just so full of life!

"That applies everyone else, too." The rest of the class perked up at that announcement.

Iruka continued with the lecture.

"Now as part of the midterm exams next week, you will be expected to demonstrate your ability to retain information using the memory techniques that we just discussed. An audio recording of 5 different mission details and 5 hypothetical conversations between enemy ninja will be played_once_, for the entire class, first thing in the morning. So don't be late! After lunch, you will write down every detail that you can remember from all 10 scenarios. Your grade is based on how much detail you have memorized."

The class groaned.

"Your homework assignment for this week will be to practice all of these memory techniques using these." Iruka held up a cassette tape from a box on his desk. "Make sure you each take one before you leave today. Each of these tapes contain 60 minutes of different scenarios you may encounter in the field, as well as a handful of Bingo Book entries – mostly well known ninja. I expect you to listen to the tape, write down what you can remember, then go back and listen again, to see how much you were able to remember."

The lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson and the beginning of the lunch hour. The class, as one entity, swarmed out the doors of the Academy and into the fresh air outside. Hinata noticed that her crush was lingering behind, deliberately waiting for all the other students to exit. 

_He must want to speak with Iruka-sensei in private._

She was torn, hesitating just outside the classroom. It was _wrong_ to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. Hinata knew this. But the chance to find out more about her crush was so tempting! In the end, her curiosity overrode her conscience. She stayed where she was – out of sight of both Naruto and Iruka-sensei – but not out of earshot. 

"Um… Iruka-sensei?" Both Iruka and Hinata were surprised at the hesitant tone coming from the normally confident blonde.

"Yes, Naruto? What can I help you with?" asked Iruka kindly.

"It's… it's about our homework assignment."

"The assignment is very straightforward. I know it might not be fun. But if you master these techniques, it'll really be good for you," encouraged Iruka.

"It's not that, sensei," Naruto said in a small voice. Hinata had to strain to hear him. "I don't… I don't own a cassette player," he said in a rush. At Iruka's look of surprise, he hurried to explain himself. "I don't own a cassette player. And I can't purchase one. The stipend I receive for my school expenses won't cover something like this. I barely have enough for our textbooks and practice kunai and shuriken since those are so expensive." 

For someone like Hinata who had been trained from a young age to read both body language and tone of voice, the shame of having to admit to money problems was crystal clear.

"Can I borrow a tape player for the week? Please! I promise I won't damage it!" Naruto asked hopefully.

Outside, Hinata was momentarily stunned to hear that her crush couldn't afford something as simple as a tape player. Then she berated herself for her lack of insight. She _knew_ he was an orphan. Coming from one of the richest clans in Konoha, she'd never had to worry about money. _Still… that's not a good excuse!_ _Of course_, he wouldn't have money! He was an unrecognized orphan with no inheritance and he was too young to work. She was so distracted by this revelation that she completely missed what they were saying next.

"Naruto," Iruka said slowly. "What do you mean when you said that your practice kunai and shuriken were expensive?" _Those things are dirt-cheap!_ Practice kunai and shuriken intended for Academy students were usually damaged or blunted and just one step away from being melted down for metal. _I know approximately how much Naruto receives from the Orphan Scholarship Fund. It should be more than enough!_

"I buy them from the main weapons shop downtown, by the Hokage Tower. They're cheapest there. Everywhere else is more expensive. I've checked. But they still cost about 2500 yen a pair." Naruto looked down.

_2500 yen a pair! That's at least five times more than practice weapons are worth!_

Naruto was being deliberately overcharged. Iruka knew that the villagers despised Naruto's existence. He was ashamed to admit that, for a while, he had as well. Until Naruto had entered his classroom, he'd never thought much of the blonde, if he thought of him at all. But in the year that he'd been teaching Naruto, he had become fond of the little troublemaker. Naruto was just a boy – very much like Iruka had been. Naruto was quickly becoming the little brother he'd never had.

Of course, Iruka had always been aware that the villagers were rude and unkind to Naruto. _But to charge over five times what the practice weapons were worth!_ This was the first time he'd really _understood _– in his heart – and really _saw_ – with uncovered eyes… how Naruto was abused and mistreated. Iruka seethed internally with anger. He took deep breath to try and calm himself.

Naruto, still looking down, missed the dark look that crossed Iruka's face.

"Listen, Naruto. I'm sorry… I guess I never realized that ninja tools would be so expensive..." Iruka thought furiously… How could he help Naruto without injuring his pride? More importantly, without bringing up the injustices Naruto was suffering? _That_ would lead to too many questions he couldn't answer.

_I know! _

"But as an instructor for the Academy, I receive significant discounts on practice weapons for Academy students," he lied through his teeth. At least the smile on his face was genuine. "So the next time you need to buy them, come to me first, okay? I can help you buy them for much less than what you're paying now."

"Really? Wow! Thanks a lot, Iruka-sensei! You're the best!" 

Naruto's enthusiastic shout brought Hinata out of her self-chastisement.

"Unfortunately, that won't help you right now." Iruka sighed. "The academy has a few tape players. But I'm afraid that students aren't allowed to use them without supervision and they aren't allowed out of the classroom."

Naruto's shoulders drooped.

"The best I can do is to let you stay in here with me during lunch times. You can use the tape player to practice then."

Hinata slipped her hand into her pack. Fumbling a little, she felt for the cold, hard plastic of her own personal tape player. In a rare moment of indulgence, she had splurged and purchased a little player for herself – so that she could listen to her favorite music whenever she wanted. She could help him! This was her chance! She could give Naruto her player! The Hyuuga weren't the richest clan in Konoha for nothing. There were several other tape players scattered about the estate that she could use for her assignment instead. 

But… 

If she gave it to him now, then Naruto would _know_ that she'd been _eavesdropping_. What would he think of her? Would he hate her for spying on him? Her heart trembled with indecision. To run forward? Or to run away? What should she do?

In an alternate time and place, Hinata did _not_ move. She did not offer him her tape player. And she did not find the courage to offer her friendship to Naruto until after their first chunin exams. He would go through the next 5 years of the Academy friendless and lonely while she watched from afar. One small action at the right time, at the right place, would change the world.

In _this_ time and place, Hinata took one small step. One small _significant_ step. Followed by another, then another… _I won't run away! I won't run away!_ … until she was standing before the two surprised males.

"Hinata?" her sensei asked, surprised. But to Hinata, only Naruto existed.

Hinata held her tape player in both hands and bowed quickly, thrusting it in Naruto's general vicinity and almost hitting him in the chest with it in the process. "F-f-for you!" she managed to squeak out.

Naruto reached out hesitantly and took the player from her hands. "This… is… for me?" 

He couldn't contain his disbelief. He could count on one hand all the presents he'd ever received. And now the quietest girl in his class – who had never even spoken to him, not even to say "hi" – was giving him her own tape player? He didn't understand it – not at all.

Hinata didn't quite trust her voice. So she settled for just nodding vigorously.

"Why?"

"Well… I… um… I'm s-s-sorry! I'm s-s-sorry!" she stammered. "I o-o-overheard you s-s-say you d-d-didn't have one… s-s-so…"

Her voice trailed off and she shut her eyes in a futile attempt to avoid the revulsion that they _must_ be feeling at her shameful confession. Oh why, oh why did she not run away? Naruto would certainly hate her now. She had just confessed to _deliberately spying on him_! There was no way she could possibly justify her actions. The next several seconds were the longest in her life. She dared a peek at her crush… only instead of anger or disgust – which she fully expected – she saw wariness.

"You heard me say I needed a tape player. And you want to give me yours?"

"H-h-hai!"

He gave her a long searching look. Just as she was about to fidget nervously, the wariness in his face vanished – replaced by happiness. Suddenly, she was nearly knocked over by an exuberant blond who had enthusiastically thrown his arms around her. "Thank you!"

All sentient thought ground to a halt. His beautiful eyes – the ones she'd spent hours daydreaming about – were so close! _Too close!_ Hinata felt her cheeks burning. The sudden rush of blood to her face left her stumbling – and on the verge of fainting. Naruto had already overbalanced with his joyful movements. With an extra cheerful shake, he _almost_ sent both of them crashing into the ground. 

Luckily, Naruto was able to right himself (and her) at the last moment, saving them from an undignified tumble. But in doing so his face came _dangerously_ close to hers. For three full seconds, Hinata could feel his eyelashes brushing against her cheek.

Naruto let go almost as quickly as he'd tackled her, leaving her head spinning. (Now that there was distance between them, she remembered to _breathe_ again.) 

"Thanks, Hinata! You're the best!" 

And with those parting words, Naruto dashed outside. Iruka smiled at the still blushing girl as straightened his desk. Then he, too, left for lunch. _Ah… Puppy love._

Alone in the classroom, Hinata raised her hand to her still tingling cheek.

That night, Hinata dreamt of blue eyes and butterfly kisses. 

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) At this point, Hinata and Naruto are both 7 years old.

(2) I'm assuming that the Konoha Ninja Academy starts at age 6 and leads to normal graduation at age 12, when the series starts.

(3) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal.

(4) 1 down, 29 kisses to go! Don't worry. I already know where I want to go with most of this. 26 of the 29 themes left have already been outlined and/or drafted. So hopefully, I'll be able to update fairly quickly. I'll do my best, anyways. 

(5) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: Eskimo Kiss

**Title: **One Small Step

**Author: **Shawny Wong

**Pairing: **Naruto/Hinata

**Theme:** #22 cradle

**Disclaimer: **The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary: **What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Eskimo Kiss**

Hinata was the strangest girl he'd ever met. He never noticed her before, but ever since that day – the day she gave him her tape player – he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her. She was nothing like the other girls in his class. The other girls were always together in groups, or in pairs – as if they needed the support of numbers. Hinata was always alone. The other girls loved to gossip and chatter and giggle. Hinata rarely spoke. (He'd never heard her laugh either, but he'd caught her smiling once or twice.) The other girls were loud and bossy, especially that Ino. Hinata was quiet and timid.

Then there was her physical appearance. Most girls wore bright colors and things to make them look pretty. Sakura wore bright red. Ino wore bright purple. Hinata, on the other hand, wore an unflattering plain beige jacket that looked too big for her. And what was wrong with her eyes? They were such a weird color. Not quite silver. Not quite white. Not quite lavender. Weird. But the strangest thing about her eyes was the lack of pupils. Was it a birth defect maybe? (Naruto would not learn about bloodlines and related doujutsu until his third year a the Academy.) She looked like she was blind, but _obviously_ she could see just fine.

She was definitely the strangest girl he ever met. And why had she had given him a gift?

Aside from the Sandaime Hokage, no one had ever given Naruto anything just because. There was always a price. Always. He never received birthday presents, Christmas presents, or any kind of presents. Why had she given him her tape player? The question burned. Was she playing a prank on him? The day after, he almost expected her to yell, "Just kidding! I want my tape player back." Or even worse, for her to accuse him of stealing it. (It wouldn't be the first time he was accused of a theft he hadn't committed.) But… No… That couldn't be right. Iruka-sensei was there when she gave it to him. If she were going to trick him like that, then she would have waited until there were no witnesses.

Two weeks had gone by since that day. By now, he was sure it wasn't a prank, or_ something_ would have happened already. He caught her looking at him more than once – not with cold, hateful eyes – the way the older villagers looked at him. Did she think he was funny looking? But then, every time tried to catch her eye or get her attention, she would look away. It was almost like she was trying to avoid him. Was she afraid of him? Should he talk to her?

He didn't understand her at all.

Well, whatever her reasons were… Naruto was grateful for the tape player.

He used it to practice those memory retention techniques Iruka taught them. Again, and again, and again. He really mastered them! Then he started to use them during Iruka's lessons. He treated Iruka's lecture like another memory exercise. At first, he did it because he was simply bored in class and doing memory exercises to Iruka's lecture made the class go by faster. He quickly discovered the first side benefit of doing this: no more flying erasers aimed at his head (because he was _actually paying attention_)!

He didn't discover the second side benefit until Iruka posted the results of their last exam. To his great surprise (and everyone else's), he _aced_ the last exam! It was the first time he had ever done something well – _better than well_ – instead of coming in dead last. Iruka-sensei had even congratulated him before the entire class. Naruto swelled with pride just remembering it. Of course, he wasn't memorizing _whole_ lectures. But using the memory tricks, he could at least memorize the important points of the lectures quickly. Combine that with _actually paying attention_ and Naruto was well on his way to academic success.

* * *

Hinata was genuinely happy. When Naruto did so spectacularly on their last exam, she was so proud of him! She imagined she felt a bit like a proud parent would towards their baby's first steps. She was just bursting with pride! She had always known that Naruto was smart. It upset her whenever the other kids called him "stupid" or "dead last." To have her belief vindicated felt… satisfying.

And she was proud of herself. It was such an alien concept – being proud of herself – that it took several days for her to correctly identify the emotion. She, the Hyuuga failure, had done something _right_, for once. She had helped Naruto-kun! And he'd called her "the best!" Of course, it was just an expression – and he didn't really mean she was actually "the best." (She was a weakling. How could she possibly be "the best" at anything?) But he had been happy. _She_ had been the one to make him happy with her gift. For someone like her, it was a major accomplishment – almost a minor miracle. She wanted to approach him again to talk… to be his friend. But… What if he didn't want to talk to her? What if he rejected her?

Hinata sighed. What little courage she'd found to approach him that day was lost again.

* * *

"Next year, we will be introducing the basics of ninjutsu," Iruka smiled, as he noticed nearly every student sit up a little bit straighter. (Shikamaru was still slumped in his seat.) Naruto in particular was almost bouncing in his seat with excitement. Ninjutsu was the calling card of shinobi. The first two years of the Academy were focused on basic taijutsu, basic weaponry, and _non-combat_ ninja techniques (including history of the Shinobi Nations, basic strategy, and memory retention techniques) – much to Naruto's disappointment. To hear the word "ninjutsu" before third year was always cause for excitement.

"But before we get to that, we need to learn chakra theory and master the twelve fundamental hand seals used for manipulating chakra. What is chakra?" Iruka wrote the word on the blackboard as he asked the question. He turned back to the class. "Chakra is the combination of mental, physical, and spiritual energies in the body. Chakra is essential to life. Without it we would die. Chakra is also the essential ingredient to performing any shinobi jutsu.

"Hand seals are the second ingredient. Hand seals are used to change the chakra within your body into a jutsu. To perform a jutsu, you first summon chakra, then transform it into a jutsu using a hand seal – or a series of hand seals. In an actual fight, you will have to form hand seals while evading enemy attacks, so being able to make hand seals quickly and accurately is _critical_. The faster you can do the hand seals, the faster you can pull off a jutsu. And in a real fight, fractions of a second can mean the difference between life and death. Before you leave the Academy, performing hand seals quickly should be as natural to you as breathing.

"First we will work on accuracy. Then we will work on speed. Now, I'm going to demonstrate the twelve fundamental hand seals. The trick to remembering them is to say the name aloud while forming the seal with your hands. Practice this until your fingers can move instinctively."

Iruka went through hand seals, calling out the names as he demonstrated them. He held each seal for several seconds, so that his students could get a good look at it, before moving on to the next one.

"Rat."

"Dragon."

"Monkey."

"Ox."

"Snake."

"Bird."

"Tiger."

"Horse."

"Dog."

"Hare."

"Ram."

"Boar."

The next hour was spent going around the classroom. Iruka had each student form the hand seals for him. He gently corrected fingers and hand positions as he went along. The key to learning hand seals was repetition – but all the repetition in the world was no good if the seal was formed incorrectly! So Iruka didn't move on until he was certain the student knew the correct finger positions. Doing this didn't actually take much time. A majority of the students – about 70 percent, Iruka guessed – came from ninja backgrounds, where one or both parents were ninja. Some even came from prominent ninja clans, like the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. Those students already knew the twelve hand signs and even had decent speed for Academy students.

Naruto was not one of those students. Iruka dedicated a good ten minutes to helping him with his hands. When class let out for lunch, Naruto was cornered by Kenta and Jirou. The two of them came from minor ninja families and took great joy in rubbing Naruto's failures in his face.

"Hey, dead last! How are you going to be Hokage if you have to take remedial lessons from Iruka-sensei?" Kenta laughed.

"'I'm going to be Hokage!'" mocked Jirou. "You're so slow, I can finish all twelve hand seals before you can even do _one_. I have a better chance of becoming Hokage than you do."

"I _am_ going to be Hokage!" Naruto shot back. "You won't be faster than me for long. Once I get some practice, I bet I can finish all twelve hand seals before you can!"

"Yeah, right! Not in a million years!"

"Have fun with your remedial lessons! Loser!"

With one last shove, the boys ran off to enjoy the rest of their lunch break. Behind a corner, Hinata had witnessed the entire confrontation. Naruto sat down and started to slowly practice his hand seals. His eyes burned with determination. She heard him mutter.

"I _am_ going to be Hokage. I _am_ going to be faster. I'll be the fastest in the class. I won't give up!" Then in a loud voice, "Monkey!"

_Good luck, Naruto-kun. I know you can do it._

* * *

A few days later, Naruto had memorized all the hand seals. But his speed still needed work – a lot of work. He didn't understand it. No matter how many hours he practiced, he was still slower than most of his classmates – even the ones from non-ninja families, like Sakura. _I'll ask Iruka-sensei today after class. Maybe there's something I'm missing. Iruka-sensei will help me._

"Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka looked up from grading papers to see Naruto hovering at the door of his office. "Yes, Naruto?"

"Can you give me any tips to help me get faster at making hand seals? I've been practicing really hard, but for some reason I'm still the slowest person in the class!"

"Hmm… Have a seat." Iruka gestured at the chair in front of his desk and waited for Naruto to get comfortable. "How many hours a day are you practicing them?"

"At least, three hours a day. Sometimes five."

Iruka fought to keep the surprise from his face. That was above and beyond what he expected from most students. Naruto was certainly tenacious. But if that was true – and he had no reason to lie – then Naruto should be one of the fastest in the class. So why wasn't he? Unless… Iruka had never seen Naruto play ninja games with the other children. Could it be…

"I'm glad you're working so hard, Naruto. It _is_ strange. With that much practice you really should be much faster."

"Then why am I not? Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong, Iruka-sensei?"

"You're not doing anything wrong." Iruka hesitated. He really didn't want to bring up Naruto's isolation from the other children. But if he _were_ right about this, then it would make a lot of sense. "Naruto… Have you ever played Cat's Cradle?"

"You mean that string game?" Naruto shook his head, looking confused. "No. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Have you ever wondered why Cat's Cradle is such a popular children's game in Konoha?" Iruka slipped into lecture mode. "It's not a very popular game in most places, _except_ the Hidden Villages. Cat's Cradle isn't just a children's game for fun and passing time. It's actually an early training exercise. Cat's Cradle develops coordination and strengthens the muscles in your fingers and hands. It makes your fingers more nimble and flexible and improves manual dexterity. Most ninja parents teach their children to play the game before they can walk. Children from civilian families will play it, too. Even if their parents don't teach it to them, they learn by playing with other kids. We _do_ live in a ninja village, after all.

"Think of it like lifting weights and running laps for taijutsu. Even if you're taijutsu forms and stances are perfect, without lifting weights and running laps, you'll never be a taijutsu master. Cat's Cradle is like physical conditioning for hand seals – the same way weights and laps are physical conditioning for taijutsu. It's not part of the curriculum because most children have already learned it before the enter the Academy."

"None of the other kids would play with me. Not even when I asked." Naruto said softly.

Iruka winced. It was exactly as he'd thought. Naruto was just a kid. He shouldn't be treated like this. _Sometimes, I hate being right._ Iruka dug around his desk drawers. _Now where is it? Ah! There it is._

"That's all right, Naruto." Iruka smiled and held out a red string. He knotted the ends together to form a loop. "Would you like to learn how to play right now?"

* * *

Naruto stuffed the red string into his pocket as he stepped outside the Academy. Class was over for the day, but there were still a lot of kids hanging out on the premises. Some kids (like Kiba) stayed behind for extra training and after school sparring with other kids. Some kids (like Sakura and Ino) stayed just to gossip and hang out with their friends. Others (like Shikamaru) stayed to avoid chores at home. (Although Naruto did not know this, Hinata stayed behind for two reasons: to avoid her family and to catch an extra glimpse of _him_.)

Naruto thought back to his meeting with Iruka. Iruka had explained that there were two different versions of Cat's Cradle: a civilian version and a ninja version. The ninja version had about thirty extra steps and was more complex. Also, the ninja version had an advanced level – with two strings and required three players. After playing several rounds of Cat's Cradle (the ninja version, of course), Iruka had told him to find a friend to play it with.

_Flashback_

_"I think you've got the hang of it, Naruto. Keep practicing, okay? If you can find a friend to play this with, come back here – and I'll teach you to play the advanced level of Cat's Cradle, since we'll need three people for that. The three-player version is actually quite challenging – and fun. The two strings together form intricate designs and a single mistake can tangle you in knots very quickly!"_

_/Flashback_

Naruto frowned. _Find a friend to play this with? Yeah, right._ No one had ever played with him before. He didn't see how that was going to change anytime soon. But he _really_ wanted to play again. It had been… fun, playing with Iruka-sensei. He wanted to play it again, and not just because it would help his speed with hand seals. Unfortunately, he didn't think the other kids would play with him. _I won't give up before I try. I'll ask around anyways._

* * *

"No way, man! Why would I want to play a _baby_ game with you?" asked Kiba. He grinned, fangs showing, "Want to spar instead? I'll go easy on you."

* * *

"What are you, three? That's such a _boring_ game." Ino flounced away.

* * *

"Eww… Get away from me! You probably have cooties!" Sakura ran to rejoin Ino.

* * *

"Cat's Cradle? It's so troublesome," drawled Shikamaru, lying on his back. "I just want to watch the clouds and take a nap. Ask me some other time."

* * *

Hinata wavered with indecision. She'd heard Naruto asking around for a partner to play Cat's Cradle with. She didn't understand why he wanted to play a children's game. But if he wanted to play, she would play! She wanted desperately to go up to him and volunteer to be his partner. But she just couldn't! That was much too forward for the timid girl. If only he would ask her. _Ask me, please! I'm here._ He didn't see her. She saw him turn to leave. _Ask me! Please!_ She took one small step forward.

Naruto growled in frustration. He'd been shot down, not once, not twice, but _four_ times! _Four!_ He might as well go home. There was no one else he could ask. A small sound and a flash of beige at the corner of his eye caught his attention. _What was that? I could have sworn… Wait! Is that Hinata?_

In an alternate time and place, Naruto never noticed Hinata standing there, so he never thought to ask her – and he never found a partner for Cat's Cradle. Instead, Naruto worked hard to improve his speed little by little through sheer repetition on his own – and with a few more rounds of Cat's Cradle with Iruka-sensei. (However, Iruka had other responsibilities and couldn't dedicate a great deal of time for one student, no matter how fond he was of Naruto.) He would remain in the bottom quartile of the class – and never reach his full potential. One small action at the right time, at the right place, would change the world.

In _this_ time and place, Naruto had just spent two weeks wondering about Hinata and watching her, so he _noticed her_ standing there – and thus, thought to ask her. Her small act of kindness gave him hope. Here was a person who didn't hate him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given her tape player to him. Dare he? Should he risk being shot down yet again? _I'll ask her. She might say "no" like all the rest, but she might say "yes." Maybe… She's so strange… Normal people don't like me. She's not normal at all. She's different… so maybe she'll be my friend?_

"Hinata, right?" Naruto shuffled his feet a little. "Would you… I mean… I know it's kind of stupid, but would you like to play Cat's Cradle with me?"

"H-h-hai!"

"Really? That's awesome! Come on!"

Naruto was nervous as they sat on the front steps of the Academy to play. No. Scratch that. He was beyond nervous. He was about to have a full-blown panic attack. The training that Cat's Cradle was supposed to give him was irrelevant. That was neither here nor there. He almost couldn't believe she'd said "yes." It was the first time anyone his age agreed to play with him. Playing together was the first step to making friends, right? Friends played together. This was his chance! If he made a good enough impression… then maybe she'd agree to play with him again. That could lead to real _friendship_ – something he'd only dreamed about.

_I can't mess this up! I have to do this right!_

Naturally, the moment he decided _not_ to mess up, he ruined it. Naruto was so flustered that it didn't take more than a few steps into Cat's Cradle – the ninja version, of course – before the red string was one giant knot. He looked down at it in dismay. Hinata gently removed the string from his hands and worked on straightening the string out.

"It's o-o-okay, Naruto-kun. W-w-would you like t-t-to try again?"

Naruto could only nod. He looped the string twice around his fingers and held his hands out to try again.

Three giant knots later, disaster struck. Somehow – he didn't know how – somehow he managed to tangle the string around both their hands – inadvertently, tying their hands together. Now they were stuck. Naruto swore internally. _Idiot! I'm such an idiot. My big chance to make a friend, and I go and ruin it. She'll never play with me again…_ He glanced at his partner – only to see that her face was bright red. _She was nice to me… and now she's angry. Why can't I do anything right?_

"I'm sorry," he said somberly without his usual volume. "I'm sorry I'm such a horrible player. I'm sorry I made you angry. Damn it! I really messed up. I'm always messing up. No wonder nobody wants to be friends with me. Heck, _I_ wouldn't want to be friends with me, either."

Hinata – who was blushing and _not_ red-faced with anger – was startled by the misery on his face and the self-loathing in his voice. She rushed to reassure him – and for the first time, spoke straight from the heart, without thinking. "No! I'm not m-m-mad. I _want_ to be your friend."

"Do you mean it?" Naruto looked at her in wonder.

"H-h-hai."

"You want to be my friend?" he asked again, just to be sure. When she nodded, pure _joy_ erupted within him. The rush made him giddy. His heart felt strangely… full. And for reasons he couldn't explain, he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She had accepted all his mistakes without derision. She wasn't angry. She accepted him – as he was.

He had a friend!

"Thank you," he whispered at last.

Had she done the right thing? Hinata wondered. She had quickly realized that he was a beginner at Cat's Cradle, but she didn't mind. Except Naruto had looked so upset. And the more upset he got, the more mistakes he made – which only made him more upset. Hinata was intimately familiar with those feelings. So she simply helped correct his mistakes. When their hands were tied together, she could only blush. And then… he was so hurt and miserable. The desperate need to comfort him made her _bold_; she would never have spoken so recklessly and impulsively otherwise. Now… although there was a sheen of tears in his eyes, his joy was unmistakable.

Had she done the right thing? _Yes._

Naruto smiled at her.

Hinata smiled back.

"All right!" Naruto was back to his confident, excitable self. "Let's go find Iruka-sensei to help us get untied. Then we can play again! I'll get it this time for sure!"

Naruto jumped to his feet. He was in such a hurry that he forgot to account for the law of inertia – which states: an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion… unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. When Naruto leapt to his feet, he became a moving object that wanted to keep moving. Hinata, who was quite comfortable where she was, became the stationary object that wanted to stay still. Unfortunately, the stationary object and the moving object were still tied together. The result was painful collision. Hinata was forcibly pulled _up_ from a sitting position, while Naruto's upward leap was forcibly reversed; he was jerked _backwards_. Their heads collided with a resounding _CRACK_!

Dazed and disoriented, Hinata opened her eyes and promptly forgot about the pain in her head. She had landed on top of Naruto with their hands trapped between their chests. More importantly, they were _face-to-face_ – and so close that _their noses were touching_! And all she could see were blue eyes. Hinata instantly turned the color of a ripe tomato. It was too much for the poor girl. _Oh no! I'm going to faint!_

When Iruka arrived on the scene a few minutes later, he found a Naruto sitting on the steps with an unconscious Hinata lying beside him. Her head was pillowed on his lap. Their hands were still tied together by red string. Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know what happened here?"

"Ah! Iruka-sensei! Hinata and I were playing Cat's Cradle and we got stuck," Naruto said in embarrassment. "When I jumped up to find you, I knocked our heads together. I think I must have hit her head too hard because Hinata passed out. Can you help us out?"

* * *

That night, Hinata fell asleep with a smile on her face. She – the weakest Hyuuga – had done it again: something right. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as big a failure as she thought. Maybe she was able to change… a little bit. Hinata dreamt of blue eyes and Eskimo kisses.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) At this point, Hinata and Naruto are both 7 years old.

(2) I'm assuming that the Konoha Ninja Academy starts at age 6 and leads to normal graduation at age 12, when the series starts.

(3) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal.

(4) 2 down, 28 kisses to go!

(5) Usually the stories I've seen for this theme (#22 cradle) use a baby's cradle (for obvious reasons). I wanted to give this theme a more unique interpretation. I hope I succeeded.

(6) This chapter was a lot longer than I originally intended. Also the ending I had in mind was _completely different_. But the scene I wanted to write _refused_ to get written! So I scrapped the original ending and you get _this_ instead. I'm not very happy with it. Was it too rushed?

(7) I don't know if Cat's Cradle helps develop manual dexterity or not. Just assume that the ninja version does!

(8) Iruka's lecture on chakra and hand seals was partially paraphrased from the Naruto Official Fanbook released by Shonen Jump. (ISBN: 1421518449)

(9) Too many Author's Notes! I'll stop talking now.

(10) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!

**EDIT 3/24/08: **Fixed formating. I didn't realize my scene breaks weren't showing up. Sorry about that.


	3. Chapter 3: Indirect Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #23 candy

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Indirect Kiss**

Life was good for Uzumaki Naruto. For once in his miserable life, things were going his way. He and Hinata had spent hours playing Cat's Cradle every day after class. After his nerves settled, Naruto was able to concentrate on the game. He mastered it quickly. (To Hinata's secret disappointment, their hands did _not_ get entangled again.) They had even played a few rounds of the advanced level of Cat's Cradle with Iruka-sensei! In addition to the game, Naruto continued to practice hand seals on his own for several hours every night. Within a month his speed had dramatically improved. Within two, he had lived up to his boast of being the fastest at forming hand seals in the class.

Naruto grinned. Just yesterday Iruka-sensei had congratulated him on his progress in front of the whole class! (Naruto had managed to tie with one Uchiha Sasuke - who was _not_ pleased about sharing his pedestal.) For the first time in his life, Naruto was the center of admiration (albeit grudging admiration) among his classmates. Iruka-sensei was proud of him, too! The positive attention felt… _absolutely amazing_! He'd never been able to gain any sort of positive attention before. The best he'd been able to get was negative attention, as the butt of jokes or in the form scolding from Iruka-sensei for pulling pranks in class. It hadn't mattered though. The negative attention kept his loneliness at bay – and kept the cold, hateful eyes of the villagers from erasing his existence. For a little while, at least, the pain would diminish. Becoming a clown and a prankster wasn't so bad if it meant someone would really _see_ him – really look at him and know that he was _alive_.

Naruto felt wonderful! Praise from Iruka, (grudging) respect from his classmates, and gentle support from Hinata; it warmed his soul. Nothing could be better! Naruto, who craved any attention whether it was positive or negative, was simply addicted. Even after a full day, the warmth lingered. It formed an invisible barrier between him and the pain of loneliness – and even muted the nasty stares of the villagers.

In an alternate time and place, Naruto became a clown and a prankster because no matter how hard he tried or how hard he worked, he was still the dead last at the Academy. (He was not stupid. He just wasn't given the tools to succeed.) Any attention was better than no attention.

In _this_ time and place, Naruto (with a little help) had achieved some academic success and loved the praise and recognition that came with it. Now that he knew it was possible – and it was even _better_ than he imagined – Naruto was determined to do it again. He would work hard (and pay attention in class)! He was going to be the best-damned ninja he could be! Who wanted to be laughed at when he could be admired and respected? He wasn't going to be a clown – that kind of recognition was unpalatable now that he'd had a taste of _real_ recognition. And so…

The world _changed_.

Well… Naruto thought for a moment and grinned mischievously. He could still pull a few pranks every now and then for old time's sake!

Life was good. But there _was_ one thing that could make it better (aside from becoming the Hokage): Hinata. Although he spent the day with her just yesterday, he already missed his friend. _His friend!_ Just thinking the word in his head made him giddy. Sure, Hinata was a strange girl. But that only made her more special in his eyes. They had talked a lot while playing Cat's Cradle… (Okay… so _he_ had talked a lot while playing Cat's Cradle...) Naruto was surprised at some of the things he discovered. She was a lot of fun to be with. She had a great sense of humor – when he could get her to stop being so proper – and she was a great listener. When she listened, Naruto felt like he had her whole attention. He felt… No. He _knew_ he was important to her. When he was with her, the pain of loneliness, of being hated for reasons he didn't understand, wasn't just diminished; it completely melted away.

She was his precious _friend_.

He couldn't wait until the weekend was over and he could see Hinata again!

* * *

Hinata dreaded weekends. They couldn't go by fast enough for her. She knew she was an embarrassment to her clan. The fact that she was sent to the Ninja Academy for _public_ instruction instead of being privately trained by her father or a senior Hyuuga clansman was proof enough. When her father sent her to the Academy, he had washed his hands of her ninja training. Hinata had inadvertently overheard him speaking to one of the elders.

_Flashback_

"… _Are you certain you want to send Hinata to the Ninja Academy?" asked Hyuuga Hideki. As an elder of the Hyuuga main branch, he was a traditionalist and always questioned the changes in tradition. _

"_Hinata has shown very little aptitude in her training. I will not waste my time on training her. She can attend the Ninja Academy and learn the ninja ways there."_

"_Hinata is the Hyuuga Family's successor. When she graduates the Academy, she will become a genin. Missions that genin undertake have the possibility of death."_

"_If she dies on a mission, then she is a defect. A weak defect who dies on a genin-ranked mission is not needed by the Hyuuga. And there is still Hanabi."_

"_As you say, Hiashi-sama."_

_/Flashback_

Knowing that her father thought so little of her hurt deeply.

Even though she was an embarrassment – sent away to the Academy for her ninja training – Hinata was still the Hyuuga heiress. This meant that weekends were spent with her father's advisors – never her father – training to become the next clan head. Her Hyuuga teachers were stern taskmasters. A nod of approval was rare. Success was expected as a matter of course. Errors were met with harsh reprimands. (They were nothing like Iruka-sensei.) She was drilled for hours in politics, diplomacy, etiquette, economics, and law – all things necessary for an accomplished clan head. That wasn't so bad. In fact, Hinata was naturally adept in those subjects. She rather enjoyed them. While her teachers never praised her progress, at least they never criticized her either.

It was her _other_ lessons – the ones for Jyuuken, the Hyuuga Gentle Fist style – that she dreaded. She could never seem to meet the expectations set for her in Jyuuken. Her Byakugan had trouble seeing all the tenketsu – the chakra points in the chakra circulatory system. Her chakra control wasn't good enough. Her stance was weak. Her speed was lacking. Her defense was poor. Against other Hyuuga children she was easily defeated. For the heir, that was simply _unacceptable_. She cringed at her terrible performance in Jyuuken. She rubbed at the painful bruises that dotted her arms and legs. Her Jyuuken instructors (and her sparring opponents) did not hold back. Ever.

Training sessions in Jyuuken were always painful. Often excessively painful Hinata thought.

The one bright spot to her weekends was Hanabi. Hinata adored her baby sister. The toddler was just starting to speak in full sentences. Hanabi was the only person in her family who was always happy to see her. ("Oneesan! Play with Hanabi-chan?") Her mistakes and failures didn't mean anything to the child. To her, Hinata was not the family disappointment. To her, Hinata was simply her big sister: the one who played with her, the one who always made time for her, the one who sang her songs and tucked her in at night.

Training in the Byakugan and in Jyuuken typically started at the age of three. In just one year, Hanabi's training would start. And Hinata was afraid, so very afraid, that when it did… she would lose Hanabi. She was afraid that Hanabi would become like the rest of her family. Cold. Unfeeling. And intolerant of weakness. Intolerant of Hinata.

The thought of losing Hanabi made her want to cry. She pushed those thoughts aside as she headed for the family dojo. It was time for Jyuuken training. Her heart sank when she saw the person standing beside her instructor.

"N-N-Neji-nisan."

Neji glared.

"You will spar with Neji today. Let us hope you have improved."

* * *

"Itadakimasu!"

Naruto slurped happily away at his ramen. After the Hokage, Iruka-sensei and Hinata, old man Teuchi – who was the owner and chef of the Ichiraku Ramen stand – and his daughter Ayame were his favorite people in Konoha. They had always been kind to him, treating him just like any other customer. (Most of the other food sellers refused to serve him. If they did, they went out of their way to make the experience as unpleasant as possible.) The familiar atmosphere was relaxing. While he ate, Naruto imagined that Teuchi was like a gruff uncle and Ayame was like an older cousin to him.

They always made time to chat with him and ask him how he was doing – even when they were busy. Speaking of which…

"So Naruto, when are you going to introduce us to your new friend?" asked Teuchi, as he worked. The knife in his hand flashed as he chopped green onions for garnish.

"Eh? You wanted to meet Hinata-chan?"

"Of course, we do! Silly!" Ayame rolled her eyes and lightly bopped him on the head with a long wooden spoon. "You've only been talking non-stop about her for the last two months. I feel like I know her already. We'd love to meet her!"

Her father nodded in agreement. "Any friend of our best customer is always welcome here."

"Thanks!" Naruto beamed. "We usually hang out and train after class until she has to go home for dinner with her family. I think we can skip training on Monday and come straight here after class instead. We've been working really hard, so skipping every now and then won't hurt."

"That sounds wonderful. We'll be expecting you, so don't forget!" admonished Ayame.

"I won't!" Naruto lifted his bowl and quickly drank the broth. "Gochisousama!"

Naruto hopped off his stool, but Teuchi stopped him before he could leave.

"Wait, Naruto. Would you be interested in any candy today? Our supplier made a mistake with our order. Instead of delivering a case of spices, he delivered a case of Konoha Bakudan. But he won't take it back or exchange it for the spices we originally ordered. So we're offering it to our customers."

Naruto's eyes lit up at the words "Konoha Bakudan" and he almost drooled. Konoha Bakudan – or Kono-Baku for short – were small round balls made with a crispy pastry shell and dark chocolate filling. They were a very popular sweet in Konoha. He had only eaten the treats a handful of times before. He didn't often have much money to splurge on sweets. And even when he did, none of the candy stores in the village would serve him. The Sandaime Hokage would sometimes give him a small bag on the rare occasions he visited. And once, he'd begged a few off of Chouji.

"Really?" Naruto almost danced with excitement. "You have Kono-Baku for me? You're the best, ojisan!"

Later that night, after closing their restaurant, Ayame turned to her father.

"That was a very nice thing you did for him, Father." There was no need to say who _him_ was. "There was no mistake with our supplier. You ordered a case of Kono-Baku on purpose."

"Maybe I did," Teuchi said gruffly. "He's a good boy. He deserves to have a few treats every now and then."

"No, Father," Ayame gave her father a long searching look. "Naruto doesn't just deserve to have a few treats every now and then. He deserves a lot more than that. The way everyone treats him… It's despicable! Why do they do that?"

"Ayame-chan," Teuchi sighed. "I can't tell you. Just know that it's not his fault; it's nothing he did."

"This has something to do with the Kyubi, doesn't it?"

"Who told you that?" he asked in alarm.

"No one told me, Father. I swear. Sometimes you must think I'm still a baby. I'm not stupid."

"Then how…?"

"I remember when the Kyubi attacked," she said softly. "I was only five, but I still remember that day, at least a little. There's a big secret about Naruto, isn't there? He was born on that day. And almost everyone hates him for it. I don't understand it… but I know it has to do with the Kyubi."

"You're too smart for your own good, Ayame-chan," Teuchi said ruefully. "I still can't tell you. And you mustn't say anything about this to anyone else. Do you understand?"

Her father was absolutely serious. She could tell. She couldn't remember if he'd ever been more serious. This was important. Ayame nodded. "I won't, Father. I promise."

They worked quietly for a few more minutes. Then…

"Father?"

"Yes, Ayame-chan?"

"Let's order more treats for Naruto in the future."

Teuchi smiled softly, "I am so proud of you, my daughter."

* * *

After putting in some target practice, Naruto wondered if he should just go home. It was a beautiful day, not too warm, not too cold. The air was crisp, and the sun was shining. The day was just perfect. Naruto decided against it. Instead, he made his way to the Konoha Public Park. He would enjoy the rest of the day at _their_ bench. Well… It wasn't really theirs. It was a public park, after all. But since the bench was off the beaten path, not many people used it. Naruto and Hinata had used it as their spot for playing Cat's Cradle. The bag of Kono-Baku balls rattled in his hip pouch and Naruto was sorely tempted to eat them right away.

_No. I'll wait. I want to share them with Hinata-chan._

He'd never shared anything with a friend before. He had only watched enviously as other kids shared toys and snacks with each other (but never with _him_).

As he neared his destination, Naruto was disappointed to see that someone was already there. He frowned. Whoever it was probably wouldn't want to share the bench with him. As he got closer, he could make out more details. It was a child, probably about his age, sitting curled with his (her?) arms around his (her?) knees. And that person was crying. In fact, Naruto thought that person was strangely familiar. He or she reminded him of Hinata. Then with a start, Naruto realized that it _was_ Hinata – Hinata who for once was not wearing her large beige jacket. Instead, she was wearing a black T-shirt and black training pants. Without the coat, she looked smaller and more vulnerable. And… Were those bruises on her arms? Naruto rushed forward in alarm. She was crying and she was hurt!

"Hinata-chan! What happened? Are you okay?"

Hinata had been thoroughly defeated by her cousin Neji. Her instructor watched impassively as the cousins sparred – if it could be called sparring. Hinata never stood a chance. Neji had the most potential of any Hyuuga in _generations_. After losing painfully yet again (and getting dropped by a right hook to her temple that had gotten past her guard), Hinata lay dazed and panting on the tatami mats of the dojo. When it became obvious that Hinata could no longer continue, her instructor finally spoke.

_Flashback_

"_It seems there has been no improvement. You failed to land even single hit on Neji. Your guard is so weak as to be non-existent. Next week, we shall _attempt_ to improve it. Pain is an excellent motivator. Perhaps this shall encourage you to work harder. You are dismissed."_

_He did not help her up. Hinata heard only one set of footsteps leaving the dojo. Surprised, she turned her head to find that Neji had remained._

"_It will not matter whether or not you work harder. We are all bound to our fates. I was born to serve the Hyuuga main branch. You were born weak – and you will never reach my level. It is futile to try. You should just give up right now."_

_Then he left, as well. Alone at last, Hinata succumbed to tears. She rolled over and forced herself to stand up. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. She tried so hard! Why was she still so weak? Was Neji right? Should she give up and accept her failures? All of a sudden, the Hyuuga estate felt suffocating. Within its walls, she was constantly criticized – never accepted. She did not want to be there! If only she were a bird, she would fly away and never come back._

_/Flashback_

Hinata did not know how she got to the park and to _their_ bench. (She did not remember leaving the Hyuuga compound.) In this place, where she held happy memories, she let herself cry. If only she could be more like Naruto! Almost as if the thought conjured him, he was suddenly _there_ and full of concern.

"Hinata-chan! What happened? Are you okay?"

Naruto could have kicked himself. What a _stupid_ thing to ask. She was obviously _not_ okay.

Hinata's head snapped up in surprise. She tried unsuccessfully to dry her tears and hide the evidence of her distress. Naruto could see that, in addition to the set of bruises on her arms, her lower lip was split and there was another bruise forming on her right cheek. Suddenly he was angry. Who had hurt her? Who had hurt his friend?

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto softly repeated the question, "What happened to you?"

Hinata looked away shamefully. She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes.

"It w-w-was n-n-nothing, Naruto-kun. J-j-just sp-sp-sparring and tr-tr-training in Jyuuken."

"You look awful." (Hinata winced.) Naruto spoke fiercely, "Sparring and training is what we do in class. Whatever it was that you just did was _not_ sparring! Who hurt you, Hinata-chan?"

"N-N-Neji-nisan. B-b-but it w-w-wasn't his f-f-fault. I g-g-got h-h-hurt because I am t-t-too w-w-weak! I d-d-don't deserve to b-b-be a Hyuuga! Wh-wh-why am I always s-s-so w-w-weak?"

Hinata burst into tears again. She had just confessed her weakness to Naruto. She hadn't wanted to tell him, but he deserved the truth. Surely, now that he knew how weak she truly was, he would no longer want to be her friend. The last two months had been wonderful. But she had known it couldn't last. Why would he want the weak, little girl that even her family rejected?

She stiffened when she felt a pair of arms go around her. _Naruto was hugging her!_ If she hadn't been in so much shock, she would have blushed.

"You are not weak. You are smart and strong. Whoever told you that is either blind or an idiot – he's probably both!"

"B-b-but," Hinata protested, "e-e-everyone in m-m-my f-f-family says s-s-so. I'm the f-f-failure a-a-and the w-w-weakest. The Hyuuga d-d-don't n-n-need someone l-l-like m-m-me. I sh-sh-should g-g-give u-u-up."

"Do they really say that to you?" Naruto asked softly. With every word that came out of her mouth, Naruto felt the burning anger in his chest grow. He was _furious_. It was one thing to put him down. He'd been put down his entire life. It was another thing entirely to disparage Hinata.

_That was unforgivable!_

"H-h-hai," she whispered. Hinata fully expected him to let go in disgust. Instead, his arms tightened around her and he gave her a little shake.

"Bullshit! Listen to me, Hinata-chan. You are smart. You understand Iruka-sensei's lectures right away – and sometimes you even explain them to me better than he does. You are strong. You beat Kiba and Chouji during last week's class spar. Your family and this Neji are just blind and stupid if they can't see that."

Hinata looked at him in wonder. Even after all that – all the proof to the contrary, Naruto still believed in her! He still believed she was a worthy friend! But Naruto wasn't finished yet.

"You don't need to listen to what they say. People have told me that I'm a waste of space." (Hinata gasped in horror.) "But that doesn't matter, because someday, I'm going to prove them wrong. I'm going to be Hokage. I don't give up. If I did, I would have died a long time ago. And someday, you'll be the strongest Hyuuga that ever was! You're going prove your stupid family wrong and make them eat their words!

"You are my best friend! _And you will not give up!_"

In another time and place, Hinata had no one to comfort her, to dry her tears, to encourage her. She had no one who would _believe_ in her. And so, she faltered. The mind is a powerful, inexplicable thing. Because she _believed_ she was weak, she _became_ weak. It would take many years for her to overcome this block and reach her true potential.

In _this_ time and place, Hinata had Naruto – who honestly believed she was strong – and who did not know how to give up. Naruto believed in her. Naruto never quit. And if he said she was strong… Maybe, just maybe, she _was_. And so, with his encouragement, Hinata would get up and try again. She had Naruto – who would always be there to pick her up if she fell. She had Naruto – who would always cheer the loudest for every small success that she achieved. She had Naruto – who had just called her his _best_ friend. (Hinata could hardly believe she could be the "best" at anything, yet, here she was: Naruto's _best_ friend!) Naruto's best friend was _not_ a failure. _She would not let him down!_ And so…

The world _changed_.

"You… Thank you," Hinata sniffed. This time they were happy tears. When she could speak again, there was a new fire in her eyes. "You're right, Naruto-kun. I'm n-n-not done fighting yet. N-n-next time, I'll hit Neji-nisan b-b-back."

"That Neji won't know what hit him!" Naruto grinned, relieved to see that Hinata was feeling better.

They sat side-by-side in comfortable silence just enjoying each other's presence and the beautiful weather, until Naruto remembered his surprise.

"Oh! I almost forgot! This will definitely cheer you up," he grinned, revealing a new _unopened_ bag of Konoha Bakudan. "Kono-Baku! I was going to share these with you after school on Monday. But I think you could use some right now. What do you say?"

"S-s-sure!" Hinata wasn't going turn down free candy. What seven year old in his (or her) right mind would turn down delicious Kono-Baku candy?

The two children happily ate their Kono-Baku. To Naruto, it was the best Kono-Baku he'd ever tasted – all because he was sharing it with his best friend. To Hinata, the candy tasted even better than all the gourmet candies imported from the best confectioners in the world (It was a little known secret that most Hyuuga had a sweet tooth. Hence, the Hyuuga estate was well stocked with the best candies money could buy.) – all because she was sharing it with her best friend.

Soon the bag of treats was nearly empty.

Hinata and Naruto both reached for the last piece at the same time.

Hinata jerked her hand back when she felt Naruto's hand brush against hers. She blushed lightly and then looked down in disappointment. There was only one piece left. Proper etiquette demanded that she leave the last piece for Naruto. It was _his_ bag of candy, after all. So he should get the last piece.

"Would you like the last piece, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked considerately.

"N-n-no, th-th-thank you. You c-c-can have it Naruto-kun."

"Hmm…" Naruto looked thoughtful. "We should share. I know!"

Before Hinata could ask how he intended for them to share, Naruto picked up the last piece and took a bite; he bit off half the Kono-Baku ball. And before Hinata could stop him, Naruto popped the other half of the candy into her mouth.

_Did he just…?_ Hinata couldn't even finish the thought in her head.

Her eyes went impossibly wide. Her heart pounded so loudly she was surprised he didn't hear it. The light blush she wore, from their accidental touch just a few moments before, erupted into a flaming red bloom

"Mmm… that was delicious wasn't it?" Naruto asked. He turned to look at her and caught sight of her red face. "Ah! Hinata-chan? Are you okay? Your face is flushed. That Neji must have hurt you more than we thought. Let's take you to the doctor right away! We have to make sure it's nothing serious!"

Hinata couldn't answer him because she was doing her level best _not to faint_!

She succeeded. Barely.

* * *

That night, Hinata dreamt of chocolate filled candies and indirect kisses.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) At this point, Hinata and Naruto are both 7 years old.

(2) In the next chapter (or maybe in the chapter after that… I'm still undecided) there will be a time skip

(3) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal.

(4) Whew! 3 down, 27 kisses to go!

(5) The flashback conversation between Hiashi and the Hyuuga elder was based on the conversation between Hiashi and Kurenai in episode 46. At first, I was going to keep Kurenai and keep the scene the way it is, but after re-watching that episode, I realized it wasn't possible. In the original scene, Hinata is 12 and Hanabi is seven ("five years her junior"). That means _here_ Hanabi is two.

(6) **Author's Pet Peeve:** fanfics in which two year old, three year old, or four year old kids (and basically any kid under the age of six) can fight and take down adult ninja. There is just no way that kind of stuff is believable. (Yes, I understand that they can be prodigies, but still… Come on!) I have little kids – and trust me, little kids are just not that mature (or skilled). The average age for walking is one. The average age for climbing up and down stairs without falling is two. The average age for potty training is three. Hello?

Actually... now that I think about it, I'm worried that Naruto and Hinata are too mature for seven year olds.

(7) Hmm… I'm not sure where that scene between Teuchi and Ayame came from, but I like it!

(8) _Itadakimasu_ is typically said before meals and means "Thanks for the food." _Gochisousama_ or _gochisousama deshita_ is typically said at the end of a meal.

(9) The candy, _Konoha Bakudan_, is my creation. It's modeled after some Asian snack food – that I can't remember the name of right now. _Bakudan_ is Japanese for _bomb_ – so literally: _Konoha Bombs_. (I wanted to call them _Konoha Choco Bakudan _or_ Konoha Chocolate Bombs_, but that name was just too long.)

(10) Some of you may be wondering when Naruto and Hinata will get around to actually _kissing_ (as in a romantic kiss between lovers). The answer is: not for a very _long_ time. Why? Loving, long-lasting relationships take time. Plus, I'm making it my own personal challenge (within the 30 kisses challenge) to see just how many times I can get Naruto and Hinata to kiss without actually _kissing_. _(I just love to torture my readers. evil cackles Wait! Wait! Don't kill me! Sorry!)_ It _will_ happen. In fact, I've already gone ahead and written that soul searing, passionate, romantic kiss scene. (Yes, I skipped ahead. I couldn't help myself!) But before we get to that kiss, there are about half a dozen non-romantic but still fluffy kisses to write.

(11) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4: Healing Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #25 fence

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Healing Kiss**

Hinata sighed as she slid gratefully into the ofuro of her own private bath. Most of the time, she did not care for the luxuries and amenities that her family's wealth afforded. But relaxing in the ofuro and letting the hot water soothe away her aches and troubles after a long day of training was simply… _divine_. It was the one vice she didn't think she could live without! As was her custom, Hinata spent this time in deep contemplation. The last three years of her life had been hard, but with Naruto's help, she had persevered.

The day after she and Naruto had shared their first bag of Kono-Baku – she _still_ blushed thinking about it – Naruto had dragged off her to see Iruka-sensei in his home.

_Flashback_

_It was Sunday._

_Hinata had agreed to meet Naruto after her training in the Hyuuga arts was over for the day. But what were they doing __**here**__? She looked around at the residential neighborhood where Naruto had taken them. The single homes and apartment buildings were well kempt. The flower beds were well tended, the fences were brightly painted, and the streets were clean and in good repair. Several buildings down, she could see a few civilian children were playing ball. While not as upscale as the neighborhood where the old clans resided, it was not shabby either._

"_Ano… Naruto-kun." She was tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. "What are we doing here?"_

"_We're here to see, Iruka-sensei," he said, as if that explained everything. But Hinata was only more bewildered. Naruto walked up to a modest duplex and knocked confidently on the door. "Iruka-sensei! Iruka-sensei! Are you home? We need help!"_

_Iruka had been enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon with iced-tea and a good book when the knocking started. He sighed at the interruption. At this rate, he was never going to finish that book! He opened the door to find his favorite student on the doorstep with Hinata in tow._

"_Hello, Naruto, Hinata. What can I do for you?"_

_Ever since Iruka realized the villagers were actively abusing and mistreating Naruto, he thought long and hard about what actions he could take, if any. In the end, he had decided against informing the Hokage (who probably knew already – not much got past the Sandaime – he __**was**__ "the Professor" for a reason). Instead, Iruka gave Naruto the next best thing: an open invitation to visit him at any time (night or day) and for any reason. Iruka figured (correctly) that his support and acknowledgement would mean more to Naruto than punishing a few villagers ever could. Punishing a few villagers would not change anything; it would not stop them (or others) from mistreating him again. But knowing that there was Iruka, someone (besides the Sandaime who was often busy) who would help him, advise him, and care for him if he were ever in trouble… that meant the world to Naruto._

_However, Iruka had not expected to see Naruto again so soon. He had been doing much better in class. So what was the problem?_

"_You have to help us, Iruka-sensei! Hinata's family is awful! They say horrible things about her that are just_ _**not**_ _true! And…"_

_Several minutes later, after much loud, indignant ranting from Naruto and much blushing from Hinata – who was absolutely mortified (What would her father say if he ever found out she had exposed their family affairs to a non-Hyuuga? What would he do to her?), Iruka finally got the gist of it:_

_Naruto was mad. The Hyuuga thought Hinata was weak! Naruto was mad. The Hyuuga were beating her and calling it **sparring**! And… hey! Did you know? Naruto was **mad**. Naruto wanted to help. Hinata needed **real** training. Then she was going to show them **exactly** which Hyuuga was weak because it certainly wasn't Hinata. Naruto needed extra training, too, because he was going to help her (and he was going to be the future Hokage!) Naruto would be Hinata's **real** sparring partner – and not some punk who just liked to bully his younger cousin._

_Iruka leaned back in his seat and thought carefully for a few moments. He was a bit surprised at how fiercely Naruto had defended Hinata. Unfortunately, he was not at all surprised at the Hyuuga "training" methods. He had suspected as much._

"_Hmm… Taijutsu was never one of my strengths. But there is someone I could introduce you to. Not only is Maito Gai the foremost taijutsu master in Konoha, but he's also worked extensively with other Hyuuga in the past. He's very… mmm… __**passionate**__ about his field of expertise. I know he'd be more than happy to help you."_

_Naruto looked like Christmas had come early._

_/Flashback_

Iruka was as good as his word. He had introduced them to one Maito Gai – the self-proclaimed Green Beast of Konoha – and one of the best taijutsu masters in all of Fire Country.

_Flashback_

"_I can see clearly that theses two are in the spring time of their youth! Yosh! I will fan the flames of their youth and they will be the best taijutsu fighters of their generation or I shall run 5000 laps around Konoha!"_

_/Flashback_

_Passionate_ was not the word she would have chosen to describe him. _Insane_ was more like it! But she and Naruto soon discovered that as quirky as Gai-sensei could be, he was also one of the _best_ taijutsu instructors that ever existed.

Hinata and Naruto joined Gai-sensei's workouts at 5:00AM every morning. They would spend at least two hours training with him before going to class. The first hour was usually dedicated to physical conditioning, geared towards increasing their stamina, including laps, push-ups, sit-ups and even more laps. During the second hour, Gai-sensei helped them with their taijutsu. He taught Naruto the basics of Goken. Though Gai-sensei was not a Hyuuga, he had worked (and sparred) with many Hyuuga in the past. With his passion for anything related to taijutsu, he had learned as much about Jyuuken as it was possible for a non-Hyuuga to learn – which was quite a substantial amount. (Hinata was certain that if the Hyuuga elders on the clan council were to discover exactly how much Gai-sensei knew of their fighting art… well… _furious_ wouldn't even begin to cover it!) In just the first month, Gai-sensei had been able to teach Hinata more about Jyuuken than she had learned in an _entire year_ from her weekend Jyuuken instructors. And much to Hinata's great relief, his teaching methods were significantly less painful.

Soon, Rock Lee, a third Year Academy student, joined them in their morning routine. Lee had malformed chakra coils, and could not mold chakra for jutsu. But he was still determined to become a ninja; it was his dream. In many ways, his refusal to give up on his dream reminded Hinata of Naruto. He took to Goken like a fish to water. Gai-sensei was his idol. Lee and Naruto quickly became good friends and a friendly rivalry sprang up between them. Both boys were determined to out do each other – whether it was who could run the most laps or do the most push-ups or eat the most ramen in one sitting. (Naruto won that last one.) If they could compete over it they would.

Hinata found it _impossible_ to keep up with the boys – stamina freaks that they were – in their morning workouts. Before Hinata could despair, Gai-sensei – who was much more intuitive than most people gave him credit for – pulled her aside and told her _not_ to compare herself to the boys.

_Flashback_

"_You are Hinata," Gai-sensei said seriously._

"_Hai, Gai-sensei." Hinata wondered if he was going to give her another speech about fanning the flames of youth._

"_No. I do not think you understand. You are Hinata. You are not Naruto. And you are not Lee. You should not compare yourself to either of them – just as they should not compare themselves to you. We each have our strengths and weaknesses – which is why most ninja are placed on teams, so that their teammates will support them, just as they support their teammates. No one is without weaknesses. Naruto and Lee will always have more stamina than you. They will always be physically stronger, as well. This is fact."_

_Hinata shrank into herself, ashamed. Was her new teacher telling her she was weak? But… She tried so hard! Was it not enough? Before she could despair further, Gai-sensei continued._

"_But… and listen to me carefully, Hinata… Naruto will also never have your chakra control and Lee will never have your flexibility. You are all unique. If you must compare yourself to someone, as a gauge of your progress, then you should compare yourself to __**you**_

"_I d-d-don't understand, Gai-sensei," Hinata confessed._

"_You should compare yourself to the Hinata of yesterday. If you can run one more step than you ran yesterday… If your chakra control is just a little bit better than it was yesterday… If you can fight harder and faster than you fought yesterday… If you can dodge today what you could not dodge yesterday – and block what you could not block yesterday… Then the Hinata you are today is a better, stronger person than the Hinata you were. If you do this… then I am __**proud**__ to call you my precious student!"_

Gai-sensei is proud of me?_ Hinata was almost overwhelmed. The last person to be proud of her had been her mother. But it had been so long since her passing that the memory was fuzzy and indistinct. Could she do all that? Could she be better than she was yesterday? Could she win against the person she was yesterday? _Yes.

"_Hai! Gai-sensei!"_

_In true Maito Gai fashion, Gai smiled (showing gleaming white teeth) and gave her a thumbs-up._

_/Flashback_

Hinata took Gai's words to heart – and applied the principle to her Jyuuken training.

She set small goals at every training session, including her weekend training sessions with the Hyuuga. She stopped comparing herself to her cousin Neji because she was Hinata, not Neji. She stopped comparing herself to her other sparring opponents, too. And most importantly, she stopped losing heart whenever she lost a match because it didn't matter if she lost, as long as she didn't lose to herself.

Gradually, almost imperceptibly, she improved.

_Flashback_

I will not stop until I hit Neji at least once._ Hinata repeated the mantra as she forced herself to get up yet again. Her body was begging her to quit. It was too tired, too spent. It wanted to collapse and recover. But… _I will not stop until I hit Neji at least once!_ And then… she __**did**__. It was just a glancing blow to his shoulder – and more luck than anything else. It was not even a vital hit. But that didn't matter. __**She did it!**_

_"Perhaps you have been paying attention, after all," her instructor told her, as she lay panting on the floor of the dojo. "That is all for today. I wonder whether you can repeat this feat… or not."_

_Neji waited until he was gone. Although Hinata could not see her cousin's expression from her position on the floor, she could feel his fury. His voice could have frozen magma. "Lady Luck will not favor you a second time. You are still the weakest of the Hyuuga. It has been determined by Fate. You will not succeed again."_

_/Flashback_

Neji was _wrong_.

Hinata _did_ succeed again… and again... and many more times since that day.

_I will not stop until I can hit Neji twice!_

_I will not stop until I can hit Neji three times!_

_I will not stop until I can avoid being hit for 5 minutes…_

_I will not stop until I can avoid being hit for 10 minutes…_

_I will not stop until I can avoid being hit for 20 minutes…_

_I will not stop until I can perform Hakke Rokujuuyonshou (Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand) 3 seconds faster than before… _

… _5 seconds faster!_

…_7 seconds faster!_

Hinata sighed ruefully. Neji could still wipe the floor with her. But each time, she made it harder and harder for him to do it. She _refused_ to go down without a fight. A small vindictive part of her danced with glee each time she was forced to spar with him because she intended to make each victory _hurt_. After three years of Gai-sensei's regimen – she actually used a _light_ version of his regimen (Naruto and Lee used the full version) – she had a lot more stamina than the normal kunochi. Neji had to _work_ to defeat her now. In a few more years, at the rate she was improving, his victories would no longer be so certain.

Today was a good day.

Today, not only had she won against the Hinata of yesterday, she had also won against her Hyuuga sparring opponent. First. Time. Ever. She had won against another Hyuuga! Hyuuga Katsu was from the Hyuuga branch house and unlike Neji he did not appear to bear her any ill will. Unlike Neji, he was not a prodigy; he was considered to be of average skill in Jyuuken for his age. Katsu was also two years her senior. She had managed to beat a Hyuuga!

Her instructor had even unbent enough to give her backhanded praise, though his expression remained impassive.

_Flashback_

"_You have made some progress. Continue as you have and you may yet become semi-proficient in Jyuuken. Perhaps when you become clan head, you will not horribly embarrass the Hyuuga, after all." _

_/Flashback_

Hinata realized with a start that the water was cold. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice how late it had become. She stepped out of the ofuro and wrapped a fluffy robe around herself. It was time for bed. She needed to be up before 5:00AM for her morning training. She couldn't wait to tell Naruto and Gai-sensei all about her first victory against Hyuuga Katsu! They would be so proud!

* * *

The next morning, Gai-sensei, Lee, and Naruto reacted exactly as she'd expected. Gai-sensei cried happy tears for her and proclaimed her to be "a beautiful blossom in the springtime of youth!" Lee pumped his fist in the air and told that he'd _never_ doubted that she could do it. Naruto had laughed and declared that they would celebrate by going to Ichiraku's; then he picked her up and swung her around until she was dizzy. Hinata soaked up the approval and praise like a sponge. Celebrating at Ichiraku's… that sounded like a date! Even though they had eaten there many times before – and even though Hinata knew Naruto didn't mean it _that_ way – she couldn't stop herself from imagining that it _was_ a date.

It was one of the happiest moments of her life. For once in her life, Hinata felt like she could conquer mountains. For a moment, she absolutely believed that one day, she would achieve her dreams – until cold harsh reality brought her daydreams crashing down.

On the way to the Academy, Naruto made a confession that wounded her heart.

"Hey, Hinata-chan?" Naruto sounded, inexplicably hesitant. "I wanted to ask you for your opinion on something."

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked curiously.

"I was wondering what you thought of Sakura-chan. I mean… you're a girl, right? So just… I don't know… what do you think of her?"

_Sakura-__**chan**__? Oh no…_ Dread tore away the happiness she had felt just moments earlier. And… _Was Naruto-kun blushing? _He _was_! A light pink suffused his whiskered cheeks. She needed to know! Did he… Did he _like_ Sakura?

"Why… why do you want to know?" Hinata congratulated herself for not stuttering.

"Ah! Because…" Naruto blushed harder and Hinata's heart sank. He put his hands behind his head and looked away. "Well… because I think Sakura-chan's kind of cute and she's pretty smart, too. Do you think she'd go on a date with me, if I asked?"

_Naruto-kun had a crush on Sakura!_

Suddenly, Hinata couldn't look at him. She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back tears. She didn't speak until she was sufficiently composed and she was sure her voice wouldn't betray her. Naruto – who was still self-conscious about his confession – didn't notice her hesitation or her distress.

"I don't know, Naruto-kun. Sakura and I are not close. She looks like a nice girl."

"Oh."

Hinata cringed at how despondent he sounded. She had to do something! She had to say something! No matter how difficult it was or how miserable it made her.

"But… but I think that Naruto-kun should follow his heart. If… if you truly like Sakura… and if… if Sakura-chan is what makes you happy, then you should do your best and see what comes of it. You are Uzumaki Naruto. And you always do your best, right?"

Naruto visibly brightened – making Hinata feel simultaneously better _and_ worse. Her emotions were giant jumbled mess – and she still wanted to cry.

"You're right, Hinata-chan. I was feeling a bit depressed. But I feel better now!" Naruto grinned. "Do you mind if I go on ahead? I want to see if I can find Sakura-chan before class starts."

_Yes! I mind very much! Please… I don't want you to go!_

"Of course… not, Naruto-kun," she murmured instead. "Good luck. Sakura is a lucky girl."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata watched him dash off. Never in her life had she wanted to be someone else so badly. Why couldn't Naruto-kun like her, instead? She recalled her father's words from long ago; they haunted her in her darkest moments. A _defect_… that's all she was. She was lying to herself if she tried to believe any differently. Sakura was prettier and smarter. If she made Naruto happy, then Hinata could accept that… eventually. She _had_ to accept it. She _would_ accept it.

She _would_! She could accept that Naruto only wanted to be her friend – and nothing more.

_Liar_.

* * *

It was late afternoon.

As promised, Naruto and Hinata were on their way to Ichiraku's for a celebratory bowl of ramen. The route they usually took to get to Ichiraku's from the Ninja Academy took them by a long stretch of road lined on one side by a tall wooden fence that was perhaps 100 yards long. When he was eight, Naruto had declared that fence _perfect_ for balance training and proceeded to walk along on _top_ of the fence. Fence walking was more difficult than it appeared. The depth of the fence was perhaps half an inch, at most. Naruto learned the hard way – taking many falls in the process – to keep his center of gravity _centered_, to look straight ahead and not at his feet (because as counter intuitive as that sounded, looking at his feet was the fastest way to lose his balance), and to place one foot _directly_ in front of the other. Even after he'd mastered the exercise (it greatly improved his posture and balance), Naruto made it a habit to walk on top of the fence on their way to Ichiraku's. He did it at every opportunity simply because it was fun.

When they reached that stretch of road, Naruto automatically hopped on the fence and continued along his merry way. Hinata (wisely) stayed on the ground and walked beside him.

"What a bitch!" Naruto grumbled. "I can't believe I wanted to ask her out! Why didn't you stop me?"

Hinata knew that was a rhetorical question. So she offered her best friend a sympathetic look and listened quietly. Naruto had been venting his displeasure since leaving the Academy.

Hinata had deliberately stayed away from class as long as she could. She waited until the last possible moment to arrive. (She couldn't bear to watch Naruto ask another girl out.) So she had missed the drama. Apparently, Sakura had, in no uncertain terms, turned him down – violently. She seemed incensed that Naruto had even _thought_ to ask her out because she, Sakura, loved Sasuke and wasn't about to give any consideration to any other guy – especially not a dead last loser and a failure like Naruto.

(_Thank goodness Sakura said no._ Hinata immediately berated herself for her traitorous thought. All she could feel was profound _relief_ that Sakura had turned Naruto down – though Hinata wished she'd done it more gently. _I am being too selfish… but… Thank goodness!_)

"I mean… yes, she's kind of cute. And yes, she's pretty smart. But she's got the personality of a slug! And can you believe she called me a dead last loser? And a failure?" Naruto continued to rant. "I haven't been dead last in _three_ years! _Three_! What rock has that slug been hiding under?"

Hinata made appropriate humming noises. (She was relieved to see that Naruto was already over his crush. He did not appear hurt, just insulted.) Naruto barely noticed.

"I don't get it! It's not like Sasuke is all that cool. Why do all the girls like him anyways? He's always so cold towards them. He's such a jerk. Why do they keep going back for more? Do they _want_ to suffer?"

"Ano… Naruto-kun. Those girls don't really like Sasuke because they don't really know him. He keeps all of them away. The person those girls like is the person they _think_ Sasuke is. He is the last of the Uchiha – a rich and noble clan. To them, Sasuke is like a prince. They are attracted to the idea of becoming his princess."

"That's stupid," Naruto snorted. "Those girls are idiots; crushing on that stupid jerk. At least _you_ don't have a crush on some stupid boy. Right, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata couldn't help herself. She went ghost white, then almost instantly, went beet red. When she didn't answer right away, Naruto turned to look at her.

"You don't. Right?" he asked again. _Is Hinata blushing? She __**is**__! Why would she… unless… _ The gears started turning and cranking in his head until he arrived at the correct conclusion (for once). His mouth dropped open in shock. "Oh. My. God. You _do_!"

_Hinata has a crush!_

The revelation was so _staggering_ that Naruto did exactly that. He promptly forgot _everything_. He forgot he was precariously balanced at the top of a 6-foot high fence. He forgot how to fall safely. He forgot every last bit of his training and went staggering right off the fence. Naruto was intimately (and painfully) reacquainted with the ground.

Hinata's hands flew to her mouth in horror. "Naruto-kun!"

"Ow… Ooh… That hurt…" Naruto moaned as he tried to sit up.

Hinata rushed forward to help him up and took inventory of his injuries. Naruto's fall had been quite impressive. He had scrapes on both knees, both hands, and a shallow cut on his forehead. Hinata fumbled for the first aid kit in her pack. (They were studying basic first aid at the Academy this year. All students were required to carry a kit with them for class.) Hinata was glad she had it with her as she knelt beside him.

Naruto watched her clean and bandage his injuries without a word.

"Who is it?"

Hinata froze.

Of course, he would ask! She should have expected it! What was she going to say? She couldn't tell Naruto that it was _him_ that she had a crush on! She just _couldn't_. Not after he'd told her about his now ex-crush on Sakura! He obviously didn't feel the same way about her. She didn't want to lose his friendship or make things awkward between them because _she_ wanted _more _– so much more.

"What do you mean?" Hinata stalled desperately. She could feel the heat crawling up her cheeks.

"Who's the stupid boy that you like?" Naruto frowned at her evasiveness.

"He's not stupid!"

Naruto was taken aback at her vehemence. "Why didn't you tell me you liked someone?" he asked quietly.

"I didn't want him to find out," Hinata shook her head. "I still don't. He doesn't like me back that way. I would just embarrass myself if he found out."

"I get why you didn't tell _him_. But why didn't you tell _me_, at least? Aren't we best friends? Don't you trust me? I wouldn't have told anyone, not even the guy you like."

Hinata cringed at the hurt expression on his face. She hurried to reassure him. "It's not like that at all. We are! I do! It's just… this is a very private thing for me. I just… I couldn't tell you," she finished lamely.

"Will you tell me who it is now?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"No!"

"It's not… Sasuke, is it?" Naruto looked horrified.

"No!"

"Well that's a relief! You can do much better than Sasuke, Hinata-chan. Is it Lee? He's a pretty good guy."

"No!" Hinata loved Naruto's persistence in the face of overwhelming odds; it was one of the traits she loved best about him. But just this once, she wished he wasn't so determined!

"Hey… If you tell me who it is, I can help you get together with him," Naruto coaxed, but this only made Hinata _more_ upset.

"N-n-no! S-s-stop it! N-N-Naruto-kun! I'm n-n-not going to t-t-tell you wh-wh-who it is!"

Naruto was immediately contrite. In the three years since they had become friends, Hinata had gradually overcome her stutter. Now, the only time she stuttered was when she was under extreme emotional distress. Naruto noticed belatedly that she was on the verge of tears. _I'm an idiot! _ Satisfying his curiosity was _not_ worth the price of her tears.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. I didn't mean to upset you. I'll stop. I promise," he said guiltily.

"Th-Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"But if this guy ever hurts you or makes you cry, I'll kick his ass."

"Naruto-kun!"

"Okay! Okay!" Naruto grinned unrepentantly. "I won't kick his ass. How about I just break a few bones?"

"Naruto-kun!"

Hinata didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was threatening _himself_ on her behalf. He didn't love her the way that she loved him, but he _did_ love her – as a precious, best friend. It was enough, for now. In the end, she settled for smiling weakly.

Hinata finished applying the last bandage. She was done, except for one thing. One thing that she'd always wanted to do for Naruto, except she'd never dared. Was she braver today, than she was yesterday? Was she more confident today, than she was yesterday? Could she do this one thing today, that she had been afraid to do yesterday?

_Yes._

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," Naruto examined the bandages he now sported. "You did a great job fixing me up. Some of the cuts still sting a little though."

"Wait, Naruto-kun. There's one more thing I want to do."

Hinata leaned forward and gently kissed the bandages over his knees. She cupped his hands in hers and gently kissed the bandages over his palms. Finally, she moved up to his forehead and kissed the bandage over his temple.

"There," Hinata smiled shyly at Naruto. "I kissed it better. Did it work?"

It did.

Naruto _beamed_.

* * *

That night, Naruto lay awake wondering about the mysterious boy Hinata liked.

_I was just joking around earlier. If this guy ever makes Hinata-chan cry, I'm not going to kick his ass or break his bones. I'm going to fucking kill him __**after**__ I make sure he's suffered immensely. _

Naruto yawned sleepily.

_Going to have to hide the body though… Don't want Hinata-chan finding out and getting upset for no reason…_

And with that final thought, Naruto drifted into dreamless slumber.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

(1) At this point, Hinata and Naruto are both 10 years old.

(2) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal.

(3) 4 down, 26 kisses to go!

(4) Gah! Each chapter is longer than the one before! How'd that happen?

(5) The speech that Gai gives Hinata is based on Naruto Shippuden Episode 28 ("The Revived Beasts"). I haven't watched that episode since October 2007 – and I didn't go back to re-watch it since I wanted to put my own spin on it. I hope I got it right. Let me know if I totally botched it!

(6) Ah! Sorry about all the flashbacks! (There were more than 6 pages of flashbacks!) I didn't want to have so many. Personally, I wanted to skip right to the kiss scene, but they were necessary for Hinata's development through the time skip.

(7) (grumbles) I'm a bit unsatisfied with this kiss. In my defense: it was cuter (and fluffier) in my head! Honest! Now that I'm re-reading it… Ugh. Not enough bunnies were sacrificed to the Cute Gods for this chapter. The next kiss should be better. I hope!

(8) Several people suggested that I up the rating and write about their ninja life. I'll think about it. Remember: this is being written primarily for Thirty Kisses – which is why this is rated K+ and the genre is Romance/_General_ (and _not_ Romance/_Adventure_). I _do_ have a rough idea/outline of where this would go if I wanted to write about their genin years, their first chunin exams, and beyond. This is because one of the last kisses I have planned takes place during Naruto Shippuden – when they're 15 or 16 years old. _**But!**_ I don't know if I _can_. I've never written a fight scene or a battle scene in my life!

The current plan is to just stick with the kisses and provide flashbacks or summaries of important events (like I did in this chapter), as needed, so that you can keep up with the time line. After I finish the Thirty Kisses challenge… well… I'll think about it, okay?

(9) Do I need to increased the rating because of Naruto's swearing? This is going to be as bad as it gets. As foul language goes, it's pretty tame, but better safe than sorry?

(10) **About Reviews**: I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the people who reviewed and/or added me to their favorites, c2s, and story alerts. Thank you! It makes me happy to know that you enjoy reading what I write. I do read them all and I will do my best to respond to all signed reviews.

(11) **About Unsigned Reviews**: Again, thank you for reviewing. I will not respond to anonymous reviews here. If you'd like a response, please send me a PM or an email – or leave your email address the next time you leave a review.

(12) **About the Next Update**: Wow. I've been cranking out chapters at an amazing rate for me. I've written and uploaded one chapter every three days. I can't keep this up. (yawns) I've been losing sleep to write and I need a break – before I burn out. You wouldn't want that, right? So expect the next chapter in… let's see… 10 days or so. Give or take a day (or two). Sorry!

(13) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5: Bedside Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #6 the space between dream and reality

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Bedside Kiss**

Naruto knew something was wrong with him the moment he woke up. His head was pounding. His throat was scratchy. His body _ached_ even worse than that first morning after joining Gai-sensei's insane workout. His skin felt like it was on fire. Worse of all was the vertigo and nausea. The moment he sat up, he felt the world spinning – and his stomach violently objected to being upright. He barely made it to the toilet in time – almost falling twice on the way. By the time he was done retching, he wasn't on fire anymore; he was absolutely freezing!

_Ugh… I haven't been this sick since… Oh… I can't remember. Hurts to think._ Naruto shivered and stumbled over to his medicine cabinet, looking for something – anything! – that he could take to relieve his discomforts. It was empty. If he'd had the energy, Naruto would have cursed. _Idiot. Forgot to restock my supplies after the last time I was sick. I'll need to pick up more medicine… later._

It took all the energy he had left to (literally) crawl back to his bed. By the time he got there, he simply collapsed on top; he didn't bother pulling the covers over himself. That would've taken too much effort. He tilted his head to glance at the clock beside his bed: 4:50AM. Naruto moaned. The last thing he wanted to do right now was train. He just wanted to sleep. (Dying sounded pretty good, too – and less painful than what he was currently feeling.) _No. I need to get up… need to meet Hinata-chan and Lee for training soon._ Gai-sensei was away on a mission, but three of them would faithfully practice what they knew without him until he came back. _I just need a little rest, first._

Despite his intentions, Naruto passed out exactly two seconds later.

* * *

Hinata was worried. Naruto had not shown up for training this morning. Training to become stronger was his passion! He would never skip out on a training session without a very good reason. He never missed it! After waiting for 15 minutes, she and Lee had started training on their own, but her heart and mind had been elsewhere. She lost count of her repetitions while working out. She nearly tripped half a dozen times while running laps because she kept looking behind her, hoping for Naruto to appear. And she was so distracted, that she couldn't keep her focus on sparring with Lee. He landed three "fatal" strikes within the first five minutes. Hinata cringed at her appalling performance. She hadn't lost that badly to Lee in months! Lee seemed to understand, however – and suggested that they stop early. Hinata nodded gratefully and dashed off to the Academy. Surely, Naruto wouldn't miss class too!

But he did. By lunchtime, Hinata was a mess. She had been unable to concentrate, continually glancing up at the clock and willing its hands to move faster. Class had never seemed to crawl by so slowly! She hung back as the rest of her classmates headed merrily off to lunch.

"Iruka-sensei. Do you… do you know where Naruto-kun is? He wasn't in class. And he didn't show up for training this morning, either."

"Don't worry, Hinata." Iruka gave her a reassuring smile. He was glad that someone other than himself worried about the blonde, too. "He's probably just a little sick and decided to stay home and recover. Naruto's always been quick to recuperate. I'm sure he'll be back in class by Monday."

Iruka's attempt to reassure Hinata was completely wasted.

"But Iruka-sensei… Naruto-kun lives alone," Hinata said anxiously. "If Naruto-kun is sick, who will take care of him?"

"Why don't we visit him after class?" Iruka suggested. "I'm sure it's nothing serious. But we can check up on him and bring him his class assignments so he doesn't fall behind."

Hinata smiled gratefully at her teacher.

* * *

Even after three years of friendship, Hinata had never invited Naruto into her home. She did not want to flaunt her family's wealth in his face. And she was afraid. What would her father do if he found out about her friendship with Naruto? Instinctively, she knew he would not be pleased. He would most likely forbid her from ever seeing Naruto again. Naruto was nothing like the Hyuuga. He had no clan, no money, no political influence, and most of the village seemed to hate him on sight. He was not someone the Hyuuga heiress should be seen with. That she had successfully kept her father in the dark about her friendship with Naruto for years... It should have been an _impossible_ feat. Except for the fact that her father took absolutely no interest in her life – unless it was to criticize her for failing to live up to his standards. He never asked and Hinata was not about to volunteer.

Likewise, Naruto had never invited Hinata into his home, either. His shabby apartment was tiny – barely big enough for one person, let alone visitors. And he was afraid. He knew that she knew he was an orphan with little money. But knowing and seeing were two different things. His small apartment was old and rundown – though he tried (unsuccessfully) to keep it clean and neat. If she saw how he lived, would she pity him? Would her feelings for him change? He _knew_ Hinata. And deep down, he _knew_ that she would never pity him – would never stop being his friend over something so _material_. But years of neglect and verbal abuse left him overprotective of his friendships and he was unwilling to take the risk – no matter how negligible.

Hence, by unspoken mutual agreement, they always spent their time together in public places: at the Academy, at the training grounds, at Ichiraku's, at _their_ park bench – or even sometimes, at Iruka's apartment.

Hinata looked down at the slip of paper in her hand. Was this the correct address? She wished Iruka-sensei were with her, but he had been called away for an emergency staff meeting that would last for several hours. (Iruka had apologized and quickly penned Naruto's address for her before he had to leave.) The building was old and dilapidated; the paint was peeling and faded, though sections of newer paint covered the walls at uneven intervals. (Hinata suspected that someone had attempted to conceal graffiti with fresh paint.) She climbed a set of rickety steps to the second landing and found the correct door with no trouble. As she raised her hand to knock, she hesitated. Suddenly, she was very nervous. She was standing right outside _Naruto's home_! What if he told her to leave? She was there uninvited – intruding on his privacy. Would he be angry?

But… What if Naruto was truly sick? She would never forgive herself if she didn't help him. And she _needed_ to know that he was okay. She was so worried about him! She wouldn't run away!

* * *

Naruto had woken several times during the day, but opted to stay in bed. He needed to get food and medicine; he needed to eat to replenish his energy. But he lacked the will to follow through. Just _thinking_ about food (even ramen) was enough to make him nauseous. Earlier, he tried drinking a little water. Although the cool liquid soothed his throat, it made his stomach do summersaults. And he was so tired! He briefly wondered how long it would take for Iruka-sensei to come check on him. Iruka-sensei was the only person he could think of who knew where he lived _and_ who would notice his absence and _want_ to check up on him. (Neither Hinata nor Lee knew where he lived. Gai-sensei was still away on a mission. And while he knew the Sandaime cared, he was the Hokage and much too busy to see Naruto on a daily basis.) Thinking about the very _short_ list of people who cared about him only depressed him further. He slept fitfully – the illness prevented him from resting comfortably – until he was roused by a knock on the door.

_Please, let that be Iruka-sensei! I could really use his help right about now._ Naruto stumbled to the door. It wasn't Iruka-sensei, but it _was_ another welcome face.

"Hinata-chan? What are you doing here?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata was alarmed by Naruto's appearance. He looked _terrible_. His face was pale, his eyes were too bright and his voice sounded rough as sandpaper – even his normally spiky hair hung dull and limp. He was using the door for support. Hinata kicked off her shoes and hurried to help him back into bed. "I was worried about you, Naruto-kun. You didn't show up for training or class."

"Sorry about that, Hinata-chan."

"Don't worry about it." Hinata put her hand on his forehead and gasped. He was burning up! "You have a high fever. Did you take anything for it?"

"No. I ran out of medicine and forgot to get more."

"I'll go get some for you then, Naruto-kun."

"I'm sorry for being such a bother."

"You're not a bother at all. Just rest, okay? I'll take care of you."

"Thank you," Naruto murmured. Her words touched him deeply. No one had _ever_ said that to him before. Not even Iruka or the Sandaime. Most people took great delight in telling him the opposite or worse – and he had learned to take care of himself at an early age because no one else wanted to do it. As always, her presence alone was enough to dispel his earlier depression. He hadn't taken any medicine… But he was already feeling much, much better.

Content and more comfortable than he'd been all day, Naruto fell fast asleep.

As soon as he was sleeping, Hinata glanced over his apartment. It was tiny; the kitchen, dining, and sleeping areas were essentially one room. A small kitchenette took up one corner of the apartment. Naruto's bed took another. There was a small dining table and one chair in the center between the kitchen and the bed. Besides the front door to the apartment, Hinata saw three other doors – two opened to the toilet and the bath. The last door led to a rectangular, windowless room only _just_ big enough not to be called a closet. It was filled with scrolls, books, kunai and shuriken – all strewn haphazardly about – some of those kunai and shuriken were even sticking out of the walls having missed their targets. _Naruto must use this room for training_, Hinata mused.

She checked his apartment for food. Other than some cereal, a half empty carton of expired milk in the refrigerator, and a large box full of instant ramen cups by the front door, Hinata could find nothing else. Although she was exasperated by Naruto's lack of anything resembling real food, she had to grin at the giant box of instant ramen cups. She would pick up some groceries along with his medicine.

Hinata found Naruto's keys on the table and pocketed them, so that she wouldn't disturb him when she returned. Then she hurried out to do some quick shopping. She had seen a small grocery store nearby on the way to his apartment.

* * *

Naruto was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming – but didn't seem to have enough energy to wake up or to control the direction of his dream.

_Dream_

_Naruto was four again and back in the orphanage. When he had been four, he had gotten very, very sick. But the matron at the orphanage – a stern lady with prematurely graying hair – had refused to believe him. (Naruto had never liked any of his caretakers at the orphanage. They never beat him because they feared the Sandaime's wrath – but there were a hundred other little things they could (and would) do to make his life miserable.) Matron had insisted he was faking illness to attract extra attention. As punishment, she had locked him in his room. _

_Four-year-old Naruto climbed into bed. He had the coldest, draftiest room at the orphanage and the thin blanket he was provided with did nothing to keep the chill away. He shivered. Naruto knew how this story ended. The Sandaime would pay him a surprise visit two days later. He would find Naruto still terribly ill and much too thin for his age. Naruto had been unable to keep any food down during his illness. The Sandaime would send for his own doctor to heal Naruto. But that was still days away…_

_To Naruto's surprise, the dream changed. It was not as he remembered._

_An angel with dark hair and a kind voice came to him. He couldn't make out her face; it remained fuzzy and indistinct no matter how hard he focused. But he knew instinctively that she was beautiful. All angels were beautiful._

"_What are you doing here?" he asked her._

"_I'm here to take care of you, Naruto-kun."_

_Naruto thought her voice was beautiful, too. "Why?"_

"_You're my friend."_

"_Really?" Naruto wanted to be happy. An angel wanted to be his friend! But… "But… won't you get in trouble?" he asked uncertainly._

"_Why would I get in trouble?"_

"_I'm the demon child," he told her, in case she didn't know. "I don't think I'm allowed to have my very own angel."_

_The angel didn't answer his question. Instead…_

"_Here. Take this, Naruto-kun. It will make you feel better."_

_Naruto obediently took his medicine. He trusted the angel. And… He wanted to feel better. He was tired of being sick. A few moments later, he was sleepier than ever. He didn't want to sleep! He wanted to talk to the angel!_

"_Go to sleep Naruto-kun. I'll stay with you."_

_The beautiful voice soothed him._

_/Dream_

When Hinata returned to the apartment, she found Naruto shivering in bed. He had kicked the covers off. She prepared a dose of the multi-symptom medicine for him; it would reduce his fever, alleviate his sore throat, and hopefully hasten his recovery.

"Naruto-kun. You need to wake up. I have some medicine for you." Hinata shook his shoulder.

Naruto opened his eyes, but he didn't seem to be fully aware; he seemed confused to see her and asked why she was there. He was obviously still dreaming or delirious. _Demon child? His very own angel?_ Was Naruto talking about _her_? Hinata blushed. (If he had called her that while he was lucid, Hinata would most certainly have fainted!) At least, he woke long enough to take his medicine without complaint. Hinata tucked the covers around him.

"Go to sleep Naruto-kun. I'll stay with you."

Hinata pulled the chair from the dining table over to his bed. She sat with him until he was asleep again. Then she got to work.

Hinata started boiling water for a simple vegetable broth. Next she rinsed the rice with water from the tap and then added some water and the rice to the rice cooker. She looked back at Naruto occasionally as she cooked – he didn't even stir. It didn't take her long to finish preparing a simple meal that was bland enough not to upset his sensitive stomach and far more nutritious than instant ramen. Hinata hoped Naruto enjoyed it. Then she tidied his apartment. She picked up his clothes that were on the floor and placed them in a basket by the front door – so that he could easily take them to the laundromat later. She collected all the empty ramen cups strewn about his apartment and tossed them out. She also threw out the expired milk – replacing it with a fresh carton – then took out the trash. As she swept the floor, Hinata hummed a happy melody.

She felt like a wife!

She blushed furiously at the stray thought and glanced over at Naruto; he was still sleeping. She sighed in relief. While she was unhappy that Naruto was sick, she was happy to do these little things for him.

Naruto was always so strong! He always made time to help her, to encourage her, and to listen to her problems. He did so much for her… Without him, she would have remained that weak, stuttering, little girl that no one respected. She was stronger now – even her esteemed clan with its impossible expectations was starting to notice! And it was all thanks to Naruto. Hinata felt as if she would never be able to do enough for him. Sometimes, she helped him with class work that he didn't understand. Sometimes, she helped him with his chakra control. Sometimes, she even helped him perfect a new stance or move for Goken that he learned from Gai-sensei. But Hinata dismissed those things as inconsequential. Naruto was strong and smart. He would have done all those things, even without her help.

_I need Naruto-kun so much more than he will ever need me. I don't want him to be sick… but this time… Naruto-kun needs me. It's my turn to be there for him. It feels nice to be needed…_

Naruto's apartment was so tiny, that Hinata soon finished cleaning. (All the cooking and cleaning had taken less than an hour.) With nothing else to do, Hinata sat beside his bed and watched him sleep. While he was sleeping, she could stare at him as long as she liked. To Hinata, Naruto was very good-looking – and the whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks were so cute! She would never tire of looking at him. In sleep, Naruto looked… vulnerable. The boundless energy and determination he possessed were not evident. Instead, he looked serene and at peace. She reached out and placed a hand on his forehead. The medicine was taking effect. Already, his skin felt cooler to the touch and he was less pale – color was returning to his face.

Her hand lingered – and Hinata was overcome by temptation. She ran her fingers through his spiky blonde locks. They were so soft! Naruto stirred a little but did not wake. She reluctantly pulled her fingers back. She scolded herself. _Bad Hinata! Don't molest Naruto in his sleep!_

It was getting late. As much as she wanted to stay with Naruto until he was fully recovered, she needed to go. If she stayed out any later, her father would notice – and question her absence.

"You're asleep, so you can't hear me. But I still want you to know… I'll always be here for you, Naruto-kun. I'll take care of you… whenever you need me. I promise," Hinata said solemnly. Then she smiled softly, "And I don't go back on my word. You taught me that, Naruto-kun. Thank you."

There was more she wanted to say. But even with Naruto asleep, she couldn't bring herself to confess aloud. She leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.

_I love you, Naruto-kun._

She let herself linger and savored the sensation of just being near Naruto.

"Get well soon. Okay? I'll be back tomorrow," she told him. Then she left, making sure that the door locked behind her on her way out.

* * *

The next time Naruto woke up, he felt a hundred times better! He was still a little tired – but his head didn't hurt, his throat wasn't scratchy, he wasn't too hot or too cold – and he was _absolutely ravenous_! Naruto almost whined piteously as his stomach painfully demanded sustenance _immediately_ – not later, not in the three minutes it would take to make instant ramen, but _right now_!

_Shut up, stupid stomach! I don't have anything for us to eat right now! Wait… is that…?_

_Yes!_

There was food on the table. Naruto practically tripped over his own feet in his haste to get at the food. It was still warm. Plain broth, steamed fish lightly seasoned with spices, and perfectly fluffy white rice had never tasted so good! Only _after_ he had inhaled the entire delicious meal did he wonder where it came from.

With his stomach satisfied, Naruto finally noticed the current state of his apartment: It was clean! He did a double take and pinched himself. _Ouch!_ So… if he wasn't dreaming, then what happened? He'd been so sick and out of it that he couldn't remember much. The only thing he _did_ remember was dreaming about a beautiful angel – who came to take care of him. Naruto frowned. That didn't explain the food or the clean apartment, though. He looked around for more clues and found a note with very familiar handwriting stuck on the refrigerator.

_Naruto-kun,_

_I'm sorry I came over uninvited. I was worried about you, so Iruka-sensei told me where you lived. I hope you enjoyed the meal I prepared. If you're still hungry, there are a few apples in the refrigerator. I'll stop by tomorrow to see how you're doing. Please get better soon._

_Hinata_

Naruto smiled as he read the note. _Hinata-chan… Thank you._ He still couldn't remember much – but now he could vaguely recall opening the door and finding Hinata-chan instead of Iruka-sensei. Suddenly, he could remember her words with crystal clarity: _I'll take care of you_.

Happiness filled his heart. He had the _best_ best friend in the world!

_Hinata said a few other things, too._ Naruto thought. A few more details were coming back to him. _Something about promising to always be there for me? Or was that just a part of my dream? How strange… I could have sworn I felt Hinata __**kiss**__ me. No… No… That __**had**__ to have been a dream._

Naruto shook his head, bemused. His mind sure came up with the _weirdest_ ideas in the space between dream and reality.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal. Some people have asked about it. So now there is a link to the Thirty Kisses challenge on my profile page. If you want to know more about it, go there.

(2) 5 down, 25 kisses to go!

(3) 5 days. I know I said I was going take a break, but I can't seem to stop writing this! Not sure when the next chapter will be out… I _am_ going to take a break! I swear. Now if only my muse will _shut up_ and leave me alone…

(4) OMG! I _hate_ this chapter. It does nothing to move the plot forward or develop any characters. It's filler. Pure mindless fluff – and not very good fluff, either. And it's so _short_! About 1000 words shorter than the previous chapter. There's barely any dialogue! The only thing this chapter has going for it is that it fits one of the 30 kisses themes – or I would _never_ have posted it. (_cries)_ I thought I was supposed to _improve_ the more I wrote! Not get _worse_!! Next chapter will have some plot development. Promise.

(5) Originally, this chapter was titled: Hand Kiss. Hand kisses are going out of style; you don't see them anymore – which is really too bad. It's a sweet gesture. Then I did some research on hand kisses. Did you know? _You don't actually kiss the hand in a hand kiss!_ You just bring your lips really close to the other person's hand without touching it – or you kiss your own thumb! And. The man can only kiss the lady's hand _if she offers it first_.

I had no idea.

My original idea for this chapter was to have Naruto tease Hinata by calling her "princess" and then kissing her hand. But if Hinata has to offer her hand _first_… and if Naruto doesn't actually kiss her hand… well, there went _that_ idea. Bummer.

(6) The layout of Naruto's apartment is shown on page 25 of the Naruto Official Fanbook released by Shonen Jump. (ISBN: 1421518449) I love that book – lots of useless Naruto trivia. )

(7) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6: Familial Kiss

Title: One Small Step

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #27 overflow

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Familial Kiss**

Hyuuga Hiashi frowned at the reports before him. How had all of this escaped his notice? As the Hyuuga clan head, he naturally took great pride in his eyes. The Hyuuga eyes were legendary for their ability to see things at great distances and with great clarity – even more so for their ability to see _through,_ not just objects, but people, as well. Their fighting style revolved around that fact. Of less renown was their ability to see and analyze a person's potential. The Byakugan was nothing like the Sharingan, of course. But a highly trained Byakugan master could read the smallest nuances in body language and could predict with great accuracy his opponent's next move. Off the battlefield, the Byakugan had other uses – especially in diplomacy and negotiation. (A Byakugan master could almost always spot a lie or an ulterior motive.) It could be used to analyze _people_.

Hiashi had never been wrong about _anyone_ before now. But according to his own recent observations and the reports sitting on his desk, he could only come to one conclusion. He had been wrong about his eldest child.

Five years ago, he had analyzed Hinata's abilities and found them lacking. Even without the Byakugan, her shortcomings were obvious. Physically, she was smaller, weaker, and had less talent than any other Hyuuga child her age. Her performance in Jyuken was abysmal. She did not stand tall with pride; instead she was overly timid – almost jumping at her own shadow. Whoever heard of a _meek_ Hyuuga with a _stutter_? Hinata was not fit to be a Hyuuga of the main house, let alone the next clan head. So he sent her to the Academy. It would have been a waste of time to continue training her personally.

He had been proven right. In her first year at the Academy, among the commoners attempting to be ninja, Hinata – even with the benefit of prior training – had not distinguished herself in any way. Even though he had predicted that outcome, he had still been… angry – and informed his daughter that unless she ranked at the top of her class, he would not waste any more of his time looking at her Academy records. (In retrospect, that had been a mistake. If he had paid more attention to her progress at the Academy, perhaps he would have noticed the change sooner.) Hinata had not shown him any further reports. And he had busied himself with more important affairs, such as running the clan and overseeing Hanabi's training once she turned three. Unlike her sister, Hanabi showed great promise for one her age.

Over the years, he'd received minor reports of Hinata's progress from the Hyuuga instructors that had been assigned to her training. None of it was noteworthy. While her academic studies were beyond reproach, her skill at Jyuken was still below average. For any other clan, it might have been enough – but not for the Hyuuga, who produced some of the best close-ranged fighters in Konoha. Each of her Jyuken instructors had remarked at one time or another that Hinata's work ethic was impressive; she worked hard and never stopped trying until she showed improvement. But hard work was nothing compared to a person's innate strength. Hard work could only take a person so far. For Hinata – who was far, far behind her peers – it could not possibly take her far enough. So he disregarded the _few_ positive comments her instructors had to say about Hinata's progress.

Then several months ago, he had received a late night visit to his office from Hyuuga Isamu.

_Flashback_

_Hyuuga Hiashi rarely retired early. In a clan the size of the Hyuuga, there was much to be done. It was time to review the fiscal reports for household supplies and food expenditures. Then he needed to review the revised patrol schedule for the branch members assigned to protect the Hyuuga grounds. A cup of cold, green tea, half full, sat by his elbow. Only the rustle of papers broke the silence in his office as he worked._

_A knock roused him from his concentration._

"_Enter."_

"_Hiashi-sama," Hyuuga Isamu – one of Hinata's Jyuuken instructors – bowed low. "I apologize for disturbing you so late."_

"_Isamu," Hiashi acknowledged his apology with a nod. "I assume you have news that cannot wait until you submit a written report."_

"_Yes, Hiashi-sama. I thought you might be interested to hear an account of Hinata-sama's spar today with Katsu – of the branch house."_

"_Now, why would you think that?" Hiashi narrowed his eyes in irritation. "No doubt my daughter lost yet again. I tire of hearing her failures."_

"_No, Hiashi-sama. Hinata-sama won her match against Katsu."_

_Besides a miniscule twitch of an eyebrow, Hiashi remained impassive. But for someone of Hiashi's iron control, it was equivalent to open-mouthed gaping on anyone else._

"_Explain," Hiashi ordered._

_/Flashback_

Isamu had described the spar in detail. Hyuuga Katsu, while not a prodigy, had modest skill in Jyuken. Had it been a fluke? As the months passed, it became obvious that it was no stroke of luck. Hinata emerged victorious several more times against various other Hyuuga children in her age group – not against Neji, of course. (Neji remained undefeated among his peers.) Her rate of success was steadily increasing. In the last month alone, she had won three out of five spars. She was no longer the weakest Hyuuga.

Within weeks, the entire clan – including the elders on the clan council – had noticed the change. Although Hinata had shown astonishing – and absolutely _amazing_ – improvement in Jyuken, it was not enough to cement her position as the heiress. Behind closed doors, Hiashi knew that the elders were hotly debating the next clan leader. Should they choose Hinata or Hanabi? Hinata was the elder daughter and by all rights the position should have been hers without question. Now that she was proving herself to be at least proficient in Jyuken, the more traditional elders of the council were content to have her remain the heiress. However, others were still skeptical of her ability; it would take time for them to change their perception of Hinata. While younger, Hanabi was very talented – and would also make a fitting heiress.

The council was too evenly divided. Thus, the elders decided to settle the issue with a trial by combat.

_Flashback_

_It was Saturday._

_I__t was time for training in Jyuken. Hinata sighed in resignation. (She much preferred to learn Jyuken from Gai-sensei.) Hinata arrived at the clan dojo, expecting only Isamu and perhaps another Hyuuga as her sparring partner. Instead, she found all twelve elders of the clan council, her father, and Hanabi waiting for her. She ruthlessly squashed her rising anxiety. What were they doing here?_

"_Father. Honorable Elders," Hinata bowed respectfully. "Hanabi-chan."_

"_We have heard of your new aptitude in Jyuken – and wish to see this for ourselves. You will fight Hanabi today," announced Hyuuga Hideki, one of the elders._

_What was going on? Why did they want her to spar with Hanabi? It was no use trying to read the impassive faces of the elders or her father; they were too skilled and would not give anything away. On the other hand, Hanabi was only six… Hinata glanced at her sister. While Hanabi tried to maintain a stoic expression, she was not entirely successful. _

Hanabi-chan is afraid! _Hinata realized suddenly. Why would she be afraid of a simple spar between sisters? Unless…_

"_This is not a simple demonstration of my skill. You wish use this fight to determine which of us will become the successor – and which of us you will place in the branch house."_

"_You are correct," Hideki nodded once. If he was surprised at how quickly she caught on, he did not show it._

_Hinata almost panicked. What should she do? She was certain that she could defeat Hanabi if she went all out. Hanabi was undeniably talented, but Hinata had five extra years of physical growth and Jyuken training behind her. Unless she deliberately threw the fight, there was no way Hanabi could win… _

And if she cannot win… Hanabi-chan will be sent to the branch house... with the caged-bird seal!

_The thought horrified Hinata. She had promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to protect her from that fate – although she had expected a few more years to work out a plan. What was she going to do now? She had __**promised**__! Naruto… Naruto would never go back on a promise – no matter what. (Just the thought of him gave her courage and filled her with resolve.) He would never break a promise – and neither would she._

"_Your logic is… flawed." Hinata raised her chin – just a fraction of an inch; it was barely noticeable… unless you were a Hyuuga. It was equivalent to screaming her __**defiance**__ in their faces – and the elders knew it._

"_Oh? Please explain," Hideki's voice remained smooth and courteous, but his sudden, intense stare said volumes._

"_If you wish to see the __**true**__ extent of my abilities, then you have chosen the worst possible opponent for me to face. Hanabi-chan is my precious imouto. I will not hurt her. I will __**never**__ hurt her. If you force us to spar… I will hold back. How will you judge my true abilities then?"_

_Hinata could feel the weight of thirteen intense glares fall on her. Her hands trembled. She might not have been the most perceptive Hyuuga. But even she could not mistake their silent message._

_You do not know your place – and you will stand down!_

_Despite her shaking hands and pounding heart, Hinata returned their fierce glares with one of her own. She raised her chin – just another fraction of an inch. _

_No._

_The air was thick with tension. Hinata would not back down. And the elders were not used to their desires being thwarted – especially not by the "weakest" Hyuuga. They were at an impasse._

_/Flashback_

The trial by combat between the sisters had not happened. In the end, Hiashi had stepped in – and reminded the elders that they were still there to judge Hinata's prowess in Jyuken. A different opponent had been selected for Hinata – and she had acquitted herself admirably. The elders had been outraged! Outraged… and grudgingly impressed. Rumors continued to spread through the clan. Not only was Hinata no longer the weakest… She was also _gutsy_ – and had the sheer audacity to stand up to the council. True, it had been a small matter… but the old Hinata would have acquiesced immediately.

The timid little mouse among the Hyuuga had transformed into a kitten – that had claws and teeth and wasn't afraid to use them.

Hiashi was both pleased – for Hinata was _finally_ showing traits worthy of a Hyuuga – and perturbed.

He was _overflowing_ with questions.

When did Hinata start to change? How had he not seen it before? Where did this hidden strength come from? (Was the training provided by the Ninja Academy actually _superior_ to the Hyuuga training methods in some way? _Preposterous!_) And if she had been hiding her strength… What else had she been hiding? How had he been so wrong – so _blind_ – about his own daughter?

Hiashi could only come to a second disconcerting conclusion: He did not know his daughter.

Who was Hinata?

Hiashi was a busy man. He spent time with Hanabi every day, as he oversaw her training in Jyuken personally. But he only saw Hinata for a short while during dinner every night. (Dinners were silent affairs; Hiashi never saw the need to make small talk with his children.) During the day, he was occupied with clan business and Hanabi's training. He had never made an effort to make time for his eldest child. He tried to think back on the last time he'd seen Hinata outside of their nightly meal… and could _not_ remember.

After Isamu's shocking news, Hiashi started to observe his daughter more carefully. Hinata showed no signs of any outward changes. She still did not walk tall with pride. She still spoke softly – though her stutter had (thankfully) disappeared. (When did _that_ happen?) She still jumped whenever he raised his voice. She still gave every _appearance_ of frailty – though he knew _now_ that she was more than she appeared. Each observation only reinforced the (incorrect) impression that Hinata was just as weak today as the day he sent her to the Academy. He waited to see if she would mention her progress in Jyuken or her victory against Hyuuga Katsu. She did not. Were it not for Hyuuga Isamu, Hiashi would have remained ignorant of her improvement. It was almost as if… as if…

_She didn't want him to know!_

Why? Why try to conceal such news when it would only improve her position within the clan? This was not something that _could_ be concealed – not for long in any case. Why delay? What was she trying to hide?

There were too many questions and not enough answers. Thus, he (finally) requested detailed copies of Hinata's Academy records for the last five years. There had been some delay – apparently her files had been misplaced – and he had only received them last week. (Hiashi made a mental note to file a complaint against her instructor – Umino Iruka, was it? – with the Superintendent of the Academy for his incompetence.) Hinata was not the number one student in her class. That position belonged to Uchiha Sasuke. But for the last two years, she managed to rank among the top five – and she was the best kunochi in her class. While not ideal… Ideally, she would have wrested the number one spot from Uchiha Sasuke… It was… acceptable – and much better than her mediocre performance during her first year.

According to the records, Hinata's improvement had begun sometime in the middle of her second year. (What happened that year?) He could glean nothing else from them. In a fit of aggravation, he commanded Hyuuga Sho – the best information gatherer in the clan and a colleague of Morino Ibiki – to "observe" Hinata's activities _discretely_ and report every detail back to him.

Hinata left the Hyuuga compound every morning before the sun came up. She trained with Maito Gai – building up her stamina and working on both standard Academy taijutsu and Jyuuken – before heading to the Academy. (How long had she been working with Gai? Hiashi frowned in distaste at the thought of the green clad jounin. Was _he_ the one behind her transformation? It seemed likely.) After the Academy, she would spend time with one of her classmates until she returned home for dinner. Usually, all they did was extra training together – although occasionally, they visited the Konoha Public Park or Ichiraku Ramen, instead. From their familiarity with each other and bits of overheard conversation, Hyuuga Sho concluded that the two children were very good friends – and had likely been good friends for _years_. (Reviewing the report, Hiashi had to concur.) After dinner and before bed, Hinata and _Hanabi_ would spend time together _bonding_ and just talking about inconsequential things.

Hiashi was _stunned_ by that last piece of news. He had not known that his daughters were close. They had never been demonstrative in front of him – and he had assumed (incorrectly, yet again) that the five-year age gap and Hinata's almost-but-not-quite outcast position in the clan kept them from being close. He did not know Hinata. Now he wondered if he even knew Hanabi.

All in all, Hinata comported herself _almost_ without reproach. She sought additional training from Maito Gai – a respected taijutsu specialist. She produced acceptable scores at the Academy. And while surprising, Hiashi could find no fault with cultivating a close relationship with her sister. If her friend had been _anyone else_, Hiashi would have approved of Hinata's conduct. He tapped a finger on the report before him. It landed on a name. Now, he understood exactly what (or rather, _who_) his eldest daughter was trying to hide.

Uzumaki Naruto.

The jinchuuriki – the demon container – of the Kyubi no Youko.

His daughter was friend to Uzumaki Naruto!

Unlike the majority of the village, Hiashi did not hate the Kyubi container. He had known the Yondaime personally – and had absolute faith in the abilities of the Forth Hokage. Before his death, the Yondaime had assured him that his seal would hold the Kyubi – and that it would never break free or take control of the host. Hiashi believed him. But the Hyuuga had a reputation to maintain – and Uzumaki Naruto was the village pariah. Hinata must have known this – it was obvious to anyone with eyes, let alone the Byakugan – though she would not have known the reasons behind it. She must also have known how he would react.

It was time for him to make some time for his eldest daughter. They were overdue for a father-daughter chat. It simply would not do for Hinata to _associate_ with that boy.

* * *

Hinata was spending a rare hour with Hanabi in the garden their mother had loved.

Hyuuga Haruki had secretly been a non-traditionalist. As the wife of the Hyuuga clan head, and as the Lady Hyuuga, she had publicly conformed to the rules and standards set for her. But in her private garden, she could let her desires run wild. Haruki had secretly detested the perfectly manicured lawns, perfectly trimmed shrubs, and perfectly pruned flowers that were the norm in every other perfectly ordered Hyuuga garden. It seemed that even the plants on the estate were forced to conform to perfect Hyuuga standards. However, in her own private garden, she had allowed nature to take its course; the plants and flowers were free to grow as they would. There were over a hundred different varieties of wildflowers that blended together in a rainbow of colors. None of which were forced to grow in specific flowerbeds or patterns. The only "order" in the wild garden was a gravel path that meandered lazily throughout – granting visitors a way to enjoy the natural view from different angles. A moss-covered fountain in the center provided the soothing sound of running water. A single stone bench beside the fountain offered a spot for rest and contemplation. This had been her escape – however temporary – from the rigid structure of her life.

For both Hinata and Hanabi, their mother's garden served the same purpose. Away from prying eyes, they could simply be sisters – and Hanabi could simply be a child, not the fearless Hyuuga warrior the clan was trying to mold. Hinata sat on the stone bench and watched the little girl run about the garden gathering flowers to make flower crowns and necklaces for each other. Hinata smiled. She never took her relationship with her sister for granted. It was too precious – and two years ago, it had almost been destroyed…

_Flashback_

_Hinata was dead tired._

_It had been one of __**those days**__ where life seemed to hate her more than usual. The day had been one disaster after another. First, she had overslept and arrived almost an hour late to morning training with Gai-sensei and the boys. As a result, she missed her chance to spar with Naruto because Gai-sensei had her run extra laps in order to "rekindle the flames of youth!" When she arrived in class, she discovered to her consternation that not only had she forgotten her homework assignment, she had also forgotten to bring her lunch. Luckily, Iruka-sensei had been understanding and would allow her to turn her assignment in the next day. And Naruto was more than happy to offer her one of his cups of instant ramen. (He always seemed to carry a few extra with him.) After lunch, she'd accidentally run into Neji in the hallway. He had been so angry, that she half expected him to hurt her then and there – though he'd probably try to take it out on her the next time they sparred. (She shuddered just thinking about it.) To make matters worse, Naruto had earned detention after class with Iruka-sensei for pulling a prank on Kenta and Jirou. (They had been making fun of Naruto's inability to perform henge – the transformation jutsu.) Hinata was disappointed because she had wanted to hang out with Naruto after class; he could always cheer her up with just a few words – and she really could have used a full dose of Naruto today. _

_Thus, Hinata returned to the Hyuuga estate early – hoping to spend some time with Hanabi. But Hanabi's politics instructor, Hyuuga Shin, had coolly informed her that Hanabi was __**still**__ training – as a daughter of the main house __**should**__ – and did not need any distractions, especially not from her elder sister. Hinata knew that she had just been insulted. By his tone of voice, Hyuuga Shin had clearly implied that Hinata did not work hard and should not be allowed to see Hanabi – lest her weakness and incompetence was contagious. The implication __**stung**__._

_Hinata was being pressured to abandon Hanabi._

_It was not the first time… nor would it be the last. At one time, Hinata might have believed that Hanabi would be better off without her weaker, older sister holding her back. But that had been before Naruto. Naruto's unconditional encouragement and support – even when she felt she didn't deserve it – made Hinata... happy. It never made her weaker._

_Hinata loved Hanabi. _

_Hinata wanted Hanabi to be happy._

_So Hinata silently promised herself that she would be there for Hanabi – the way Naruto was there for her. Hanabi would always know that her oneesan cared for her – and supported her. Whether or not Hanabi succeeded or failed, Hinata would still love her – and still believe in her. The Hyuuga elders could pressure her as much as they wanted. Hinata stubbornly __**refused**__ to abandon her sister._

_But when subtle pressure failed to get the result they wanted, the elders tried a different tact._

_Hinata saw Hanabi every night before bed without fail. The sisters were usually kept so busy that sometimes the few minutes before bed were the only time they had together. (Hanabi received private instruction and hours of Jyuken training each day – while Hinata had her own training and classes at the Academy to attend.) Even if all they could do was exchange a hug or a few words… For Hinata, it was the best way to end the day._

_Hinata was dead tired after one of __**those days**__. She just wanted to see her sister, then crawl into bed and pray for the next day to be better. Her day certainly couldn't get any worse! It seemed as if Fate was __**laughing**__ at her because as soon as that thought crossed her mind, it got worse – much worse._

"_I hate you!"_

_Hinata jerked back as if she had been physically slapped._

"_Hanabi-chan!" Hinata gasped. She stood in the doorway of Hanabi's bedroom in shock._

_Her sister's normally immaculate room was in shambles. The sheets had been torn off the bed. Every book and scroll she owned had been knocked off the shelves. The painting of a lotus blossom that hung over Hanabi's bed was askew. The collection of small ceramic cats that Hanabi had started collecting was shattered in sharp jagged pieces in a pile by the wall. Most telling of all, the photograph of Hinata and Hanabi (taken on Hanabi's last birthday) that usually graced her desk was torn to shreds – and the glass frame cracked. It was as if a hurricane had come through her room – leaving nothing intact – or… Hanabi had thrown a massive tantrum and destroyed her room in a fit of rage. Hanabi's face was streaked with tears… _

"_Hanabi-chan! What's wrong? What happened?" Hinata rushed forward in an attempt to comfort her distraught sister – only to receive a punch in the gut. There had been no chakra in the attack, but it still hurt enough to make Hinata gasp for breath. What was going on?_

"_I hate you!" Hanabi was still crying. "You… You… Liar!"_

"_Hanabi-chan… I have never __**ever**__ lied to you. Why would you say such a thing?"_

"_Don't call me that! You liar! You don't love me at all!" Hanabi tried to hit her again. But this time, Hinata caught her fist and pulled the smaller girl into her embrace. She ignored Hanabi's struggle to get free._

"_That's not true, Hanabi-chan! You are my precious imouto. I love you more than my life. I swear it." Hinata gently stroked Hanabi's hair and rubbed her back._

"_Really?" Hanabi sniffled. She started to relax under her sisters calming touch. It was hard to disbelieve her oneesan, especially when Hinata was so concerned and caring – even after Hanabi hit her. And she sounded so sincere!_

"_Really," Hinata said firmly. She looked her sister in the eyes. "Hanabi-chan is very precious to me."_

"_Oh," Hanabi said in a small voice that trembled. "But… But… Shin-sensei… He said that Oneesan can't wait to be named clan head! That Oneesan can't wait to put the cage bird seal on Hanabi-chan! And… And… that Oneesan wants to send Hanabi-chan away to the branch house! And then… Shin-sensei… he… he…"_

_Hinata frowned. She could feel Hanabi shaking in her arms – nearly __**overflowing**__ with fear. She placed a comforting kiss on Hanabi's unmarked forehead. "What did he do, Hanabi-chan?"_

"_He hurt Miyu from the branch house because she didn't bring him his favorite chocolate candy from Snow Country when she brought us our tea. She screamed and screamed. And then… Shin-sensei said that when… when Oneesan becomes clan head… Oneesan will make Hanabi-chan scream and scream if… if Hanabi-chan makes Oneesan mad."_

_Of course, Hanabi had always known of the cage bird seal. She was a Hyuuga of the main house and the second born child of the clan head. She had known of the caged bird seal almost before she could walk and talk. But the caged bird seal had always been an abstract, technical thing that did not impact Hanabi personally. If Hanabi ever thought of the seal at all, it was in the same way that she thought of marriage or death. Eventually, she knew she would get married. Eventually, many, many years from now, she knew she would die. And… Eventually, when her oneesan became the clan leader, she would receive the caged bird seal._

_It had never been personal._

_It had never __**frightened**__ her._

_The thought of her loving sister __**actually using it**__ on her had never crossed her mind. But now…_

"_I'm so scared, Oneesan," Hanabi whispered. The four year old crawled into her sister's lap and buried her face in her sister's shoulder._

_Hinata had a kind soul. Despite her harsh treatment at the hands of her family, she did not hate her clansmen. Instead, she did her best to fix her flaws and improve herself for their benefit. But this… This was __**unforgivable**__! The elders had failed to get Hinata to leave her sister. Now they were trying to break the bonds between Hanabi and Hinata – and trying to frighten Hanabi into leaving Hinata. For the first time in her life, Hinata knew true hatred. She hated the division within her clan. She hated the cage bird seal. And she hated Hyuuga Shin for using the caged bird seal so __**frivolously**__ – in order to scare Hanabi away from her!_

_(She had seen her father use caged bird seal used three times before. Even though it made her sick, each time he used it, it had been for a major transgression that would have brought danger to the clan – never for something as simple as forgetting to bring candy along with the tea!)_

_Hinata took several deep breaths and pushed her anger and disgust aside._

"_Listen to me, Hanabi-chan. I love you. I promise on my life that I will __**never**__ hurt you or send you away. Nothing could ever make me mad enough to hurt you."_

_Hanabi gave her sister a long searching look and seemed reassured by the love she could see in Hinata's eyes. Her fear slowly faded away._

"_I… I trust you, Oneesan." (Hinata nearly sagged with relief.) Hanabi gave her sister an apologetic kiss on the cheek. "I love you, too. I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm sorry I hit you."_

"_Already forgiven and forgotten, Hanabi-chan," Hinata said with a small smile._

_A few minutes later, Hanabi looked at the destruction around her and sniffled – once again on the verge of tears. "I broke my cats and tore my favorite picture of us."_

"_Don't cry, Hanabi-chan. I can buy some new cats for you. And I still have a copy of that picture. Or we can take a new picture of us tomorrow. Would you like that?"_

_Hanabi nodded and let Hinata dry her tears._

"_Come on. I'll help you clean up."_

_The next week, the entire stock of dark chocolate candies imported from the Land of Snow – the same ones favored by the elder, Hyuuga Shin – vanished from the Hyuuga estate. It would take at least another two months before more of the candy would arrive; trade between the Land of Fire and the Land of Snow was often slow due to distance and bandits. Coincidently, that same week, a bolt of lovely, purple, patterned silk arrived anonymously for Hyuuga Miyu of the branch family; Miyu had sighed longingly over that bolt at the market several days prior, but could not justify the purchase of such expensive fabric on a whim._

_/Flashback_

Normally, Hinata did not condone revenge. Naruto must have rubbed off on her more than she realized. It was such a small, petty thing, too. But afterwards, Hinata felt _much_ better. Despite further attempts to separate them, her relationship with Hanabi was stronger than ever. Hanabi trusted Hinata – and she would _never_ betray that trust.

"Is Oneesan daydreaming about her boyfriend again?" Hanabi teased, bringing Hinata's mind back to the present. She dropped a pile of brightly colored blossoms in Hinata's lap.

"Hanabi-chan!" Hinata blushed. "I've told you again and again. Naruto-kun is not my boyfriend! We're just friends."

"I know he's not," Hanabi laughed. "But you want him to be, don't you? I can tell. You always get this dreamy look on your face whenever you talk about him."

"I do not!" Hinata protested – and blushed even harder.

"Do too! Hinata and Naruto… Sitting in a tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

In retaliation, Hinata threw a flower at Hanabi's head. But this only made her sister laugh harder. Hinata had to grin. Even though Hanabi was annoying when she teased her about Naruto-kun, Hinata was glad to see her smiling and laughing like a six year old. Unfortunately, the moment was broken by the arrival of a messenger at the entrance of their garden.

"I am sorry to intrude, Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama." The messenger bowed low. "Hiashi-sama requests Hinata-sama's presence in his office immediately."

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) At this point, Naruto and Hinata are both 11 years old.

(2) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal. More information on Thirty Kisses is in my profile.

(3) 6 down, 24 kisses to go!

_(4) Oneesan_ means older sister. _Imouto_ means younger sister. Author's Pet Peeve: people who indiscriminately use the word _oneesan_ without regard for the age of the characters! Argh! The older sister should never call her younger sister "oneesan." That's just _wrong_.

(5) As promised, we have plot development! Fitting this chapter into the overflow theme was a bit of a stretch… Overflow (of emotion, of questions, of fear) was supposed to be the central mood of this chapter. _(sigh)_ I don't think I managed to make it happen though. Oh well, I tried.

(6) Hiashi was really hard to write. He's not evil. He's just tends to put the clan before his own family (which is a mistake IMO) and doesn't know how to connect with his daughters. In the anime, Hiashi loosens up after the chunin exams and seems to become more of a father to his family – and less of a clan leader.

(7) My biggest worry about this chapter was writing Hinata. I'm trying my best to keep Hinata like… well, Hinata. She is definitely stronger – and a lot more willing to stand up for her beliefs – but still shy, uncertain, and sometimes unconfident – especially when it comes to her own worth. I'm walking a very fine line here. I hope I didn't mess it up! In canon, Hinata draws strength and inspiration from watching Naruto. How much stronger would she be if she and Naruto have been best friends for 4 years?

(8) About the last chapter: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed to let me know it wasn't as terrible as I thought! I'm really surprised at how many people enjoyed the fluffy little filler. I had spent so much time going over it, checking for flaws, that in the end, all I could see were the flaws! I needed to step back and get a different perspective! Thank you. I feel much better about it!

(9) This kiss was not a NaruHina kiss. It was a HinaHana kiss. _(groans – bangs head against desk)_ Why, oh why do I feel like I _cheated_? The rules for 30 kisses specifically state that the kiss does not have to happen between the main couple. I didn't do anything wrong! But still… I feel guilty. Naruto didn't even show up in this one! _It should have been a NaruHina kiss!_ _(cries)_ Sorry! I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. Speaking of which…

(10) Bwahahaha! _(evil cackles)_ My first cliffhanger! Originally, I didn't intend for the chapter to break here. This chapter was supposed to conclude _after_ the father-daughter "chat." But it's already longer than any of my previous chapters. And this was a good place to end it.

(11) Next Chapter Sneak Peak:

"_One day, Naruto-kun will be the Hokage – and I will be there by his side!"_

"_I see," Hiashi stared impassively at his daughter. "Is that your final word on this matter?"_

"_It is." Hinata tried unsuccessfully to keep her hands from trembling under the pressure._

"_You understand that you are defying a direct order from your clan head. Are you prepared to accept the punishment – including the possibility of receiving the caged bird seal?"_

"_I am."_

(12) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7: Accidental Kiss

Title: One Small Step

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #3 jolt!

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Accidental Kiss**

* * *

_The moment was broken by the arrival of a messenger at the entrance of their garden._

"_I am sorry to intrude, Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama." The messenger bowed low. "Hiashi-sama requests Hinata-sama's presence in his office immediately."_

Hanabi shot her sister a worried glance. Their father had not summoned Hinata to see him in _years_. She might be the youngest in the family, but she wasn't stupid. Every other time he requested Hinata's presence in his office had been to criticize her for failing to live up to his expectations. Hanabi had never been on the receiving end of one of her father's chastisements, but she had eavesdropped on them occasionally and had even been present once or twice. It was always… unpleasant to say the least. This couldn't be anything good. Hinata had been doing so well lately! She had improved her Jyuken. She had won several spars in a row against her peers. Why did their father want to see Hinata now?

"Thank you. I will be there in a moment," Hinata said firmly. The messenger bowed and left having completed his duty. Hinata gave Hanabi a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Hanabi-chan. Everything will be okay."

Now if only she could believe her own words…

* * *

"Do you know why you are here?" Hiashi regarded his daughter carefully. She stood with her back straight and with hands clasped in front of her. Though he could find no trace of nervousness in her posture, she would not meet his eyes.

"No, Father."

"You have been training under Maito Gai."

"Yes, Father." Hinata did not react outwardly to her father's observation, but the sudden dread in her heart made it hard to speak.

"He is a respected taijutsu specialist – one of the best in Konoha. It is no wonder that you were able to improve under his tutelage. You have finally achieved a passable level of skill in Jyuken."

"Thank you, Father. Gai-sensei is an excellent instructor. Training is his passion."

"You have also done well in your academic studies, both at the Academy and under your private instructors. However, you still have much to learn – especially in the niceties of proper behavior befitting a person of your status. For instance, it is _not_ proper for the Hyuuga heiress to be friends with a penniless orphan."

The blood drained from her face – and she could feel her heartbeat quicken. He knew! Her father knew about Naruto!

"I suppose it is not entirely your fault," Hiashi allowed. "We have neglected your social training in favor of furthering your academic studies and improving your Jyuken. That was a mistake. If you had had more training in the comportment expected of an heiress, then perhaps you might have avoided making such an _improper_ friend.

"The Uzumaki child is nobody. For you to be friends with him implies that he has the nominal approval of our clan. We are one of the most respected clans in the Land of Fire. We have a reputation to uphold – a reputation that does not include associating with the riffraff. Your behavior reflects poorly upon the clan.

"From now on, you will no longer associate with the Uzumaki child."

Despite her recent displays of strength, Hiashi expected immediate compliance to his orders, not defiance. He almost blinked in shock when he heard the softly spoken word…

"N-N-No."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. Hinata was clearly afraid. Her stutter was back and her face was as white as a sheet. But she didn't back down. _Interesting_. When backed into a corner, the kitten revealed its hidden claws again. He wondered how far she would go to protect her friendship with the boy.

"Oh? Perhaps I did not make myself clear enough. I will explain in simpler terms. It is _unwise_ of you to befriend an orphan with no future prospects. I _forbid_ you from seeing Uzumaki Naruto outside of your normal classes at the Academy."

"No!"

Hinata had a moment of panic. Her greatest fear was coming to pass. She couldn't let her father take Naruto-kun from her! What was she going to do? She had been expecting something like this for _years_. She was only surprised it had not come sooner. Four years ago, something like this would have crushed her. But four years as Naruto's best friend had rubbed off on her, just a little bit. It was enough. She was prepared to defend the most precious thing she had – her friendship with Naruto – no matter what it took.

Hinata was deathly afraid of her father. But she was _more_ afraid of losing Naruto.

"No, I will not. Naruto-kun _has_ future prospects! He has more potential than anyone else I know! It is _unwise_ of the Hyuuga not to make ties with the future Hokage of this village!" she said fiercely. "Unless you intend to lock me in my room and keep me there by force, I _will_ be friends with Uzumaki Naruto."

In that moment with her eyes blazing, Hiashi was jolted by just how _strong_ his frail daughter appeared.

Once Hinata started she couldn't seem to stop – and words spilled from her heart to her mouth, completely bypassing her head.

"Naruto-kun is a strong ninja. Because of him I can become a strong ninja, too. It was _his_ idea for us to train with Gai-sensei in the first place. It is _his_ encouragement that makes me stronger, not because he can teach me new techniques or skills, but because he _believes_ in me. Whenever I make a mistake, or fail, he's there to pick me up and tell me I did _great_! Even when I fail! He tells me that the next time I will definitely get it right. Unlike this family, Naruto-kun believes in me. Unlike this family, Naruto-kun never gave up on me – not once! And he won't let me give up on myself, either. Because of him, I can like myself more. Because of him, I've stopped hating myself for being so weak.

"Naruto-kun is my best friend! You will not take him away from me!"

Hinata's hands flew to her mouth in horror. She had not meant to say all those things! She was practically _shouting_ at her father! She took several shaky breaths in attempt to calm herself. For her rebellion and blatant disrespect towards her father, her punishment would be terrible. For such disobedience towards the clan head, he could banish her to the branch house! She was already in a world of trouble. She might as well go all the way.

Hinata looked her father squarely in the eyes and spoke with absolute conviction.

"One day, Naruto-kun will be the Hokage – and I will be there by his side!"

"I see," Hiashi stared impassively at his daughter. "Is that your final word on this matter?"

"It is." Hinata tried unsuccessfully to keep her hands from trembling under the pressure.

"You understand that you are defying a direct order from your clan head. Are you prepared to accept the punishment – including the possibility of receiving the caged bird seal?"

"I am."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Hiashi thought he should feel angry about Hinata's rebellion. He should have been furious! But strangely… he was not. All he felt was… pride? For the first time in _years_… For the first time since Hinata's first steps as a baby… He was actually _proud_ of his daughter. Suddenly… he could almost see the ghost of his friend standing behind his daughter with his hand on her shoulder – and he could hear a familiar voice whisper in his ear…

_Do you know what makes a good leader, Hiashi?_

_Flashback_

"_Do you know what makes a good leader, Hiashi?"_

"_Strength, of course," he replied automatically. "A leader must be strong."_

"_Strength is a part of it, true, but it takes more than just strength to be a good leader." His friend looked out over the village and waved his hand carelessly. "There are a lot of strong ninja out there – but most of them would make terrible leaders. Only a handful of people ever become great leaders. Do you know why?"_

"_Share with me your words of wisdom, Oh Mighty Hokage-sama."_

"_Someday, Hiashi, I'm going to get you stop calling me that!" His blonde friend laughed. Then he said seriously, "Every great leader must embody six very important qualities."_

"_The first quality is – as you have said – strength._

"_The second is unwavering courage._

"_The third is belief – belief in themselves and in the people around them._

"_The forth is the willingness to take responsibility for your decisions – no matter what the consequences may be._

"_The fifth is empathy for and understanding of the people you lead. If you don't feel for them or try to understand them, how will you know what your people need?_

"_The sixth – and final – quality of a great leader is vision. A leader must have a clear vision of the future. Every decision they make takes them closer towards that future. I want Konoha to be a place where people can be safe and prosper. I want the children of the village to grow up safe and happy."_

_/Flashback_

For some reason, he had never forgotten that conversation. Namikaze Minato had been an amazing friend – and an even more amazing Hokage. He had possessed all six traits of leadership in spades. Before today, Hiashi had not believed Hinata could ever become a capable leader – let alone the kind of leader the Hyuuga clan needed. But here she was… displaying every trait!

Strength. In the last few months, she had manifested amazing new strength – defeating her peers through hard work. In a few more years, she had the _potential_ to be truly formidable.

Courage. She had faced down the entire council of elders, despite her obvious fear. And right now, she was almost _daring_ him to stop her from being friends with Uzumaki Naruto. Where had the timid little mouse gone?

Belief. Her greatest weakness had been her lack of faith in herself; she had quit too easily, too often. But now… She had said it herself: she stopped giving up! He could see the confidence shining within her.

Responsibility – no matter the consequences. She wasn't backing down. She was fighting for the right to remain friends with the boy, despite the very real possibility of losing her status as the heiress and receiving the cage bird seal.

Empathy and understanding. These were qualities that Hinata had always possessed. She had always been too kind. Hiashi was not blind. Most members of the Hyuuga branch house _liked_ his daughter for her compassion and gentle nature.

And finally…

Vision. Hinata saw a future Hokage allied with the Hyuuga – and was taking steps to make that future a reality. That boy? A future Hokage? Only time would tell. But for now…

The ghost of his friend standing behind his daughter slowly morphed into an image of a golden-haired child with equally intense blue eyes before fading away completely. If the boy was behind his daughter's transformation, then he must also possess some of those same qualities. He was truly the Yondaime's legacy. _The Yondaime's legacy!_ Hiashi paused and sat up a little straighter, as a suspicion took root in the back of his mind… The Sandaime occasionally referred to the child as the Yondaime's legacy – even though Minato's wife and unborn child had died in during the Kyubi attack so many years ago. Could it be?

Hiashi mentally shook himself. He could think about that another day. He made his decision.

"Very well."

Hinata tensed, anticipating an explosion of rage – or worse, banishment to the branch house. She had just promised to disobey her clan head! She was going to be punished, of course. It was only a question of how severe her punishment would be. But to stay with Naruto… she would gladly endure _any_ punishment. Hinata searched her father's face and body language for signs of anger. Sadly, she was very familiar with all the signs. Only… Instead of a harsh scowl and cold unforgiving eyes, her father was… smiling?

Hinata's mouth dropped open in shock – and she wanted to pinch herself. Her father was smiling – a rare enough occurrence, although it did happen occasionally. What stunned her was the fact that was he smiling… at _her_! He _never_ smiled at _her_. Was he actually _pleased_ with her?

"A leader must learn when to make his own decisions and when to listen to the advice of his subordinates – even when it contradicts his own ideas. I am not well acquainted with Uzumaki Naruto… I only know _of_ him through the second hand observations of others. I do not know him personally – as you obviously do."

Hinata held her breath. Her father was not reacting like she expected. It was disconcerting – and in some ways _more_ frightening than the full force of his anger.

"Your argument for your continued association with him was… impressive."

"Th-Thank you?" Hinata was even more bewildered. She? _Impress_ her father? Impossible!

"I suppose the long term benefits of a Hokage allied to our clan outweighs a minor mark on our reputation." Hiashi gave her a sharp measuring look. "It will be interesting to see if you are right about him. I will be watching Uzumaki Naruto's career _very_ closely."

* * *

Sarutobi took a calming puff on his pipe. Smoking was a terrible vice. According to his old student, Tsunade, it was terribly unhealthy, too. Still he was an old man. After all he'd seen and lived through… well… he deserved to have a few vices. He carefully considered the jonin's request. It was a bit unusual, to request a single apprentice rather than a team of three genin, but it was not unheard of. Sometimes jonin preferred taking a single student over splitting their attention between three students – though it was not a common practice.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"It is, Hokage-sama."

"A pity. I think you would have made a fine instructor for a team of genin. Are you certain you don't want to take on a full team – and give your apprentice two teammates? Lee could learn a lot from working with his peers – and eventually, in order to pass the chunin exams, he will need a team."

"I have already spoken to Lee. He agrees with me, Hokage-sama. This is what we both want. I do not make this request lightly." The jonin met his gaze steadily.

The Hokage sighed. There was no reason not to grant the jonin's request (other than more paperwork). He carefully stamped the document with his seal – then blew on it lightly to dry the ink.

"Very well. Your request has been approved."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Naruto gasped for breath as he finished the newest kata in his repertoire. Gai-sensei had taught it to him and Lee last week. Lee had already mastered it and was off running laps _again_. Naruto would have finished earlier and joined him, except that he had just increased his weights a few days ago. Each and every kata he knew suddenly became doubly difficult to execute. He used a towel to wipe away the sweat on his face and sighed a little in frustration. The difficulty would only last until he got used to the additional weight. The muscles in his arms and legs burned from overexertion. He couldn't wait until his limbs felt _normal_ again. He grabbed a bottle of water from his pack and took a long refreshing drink. Movement at the edge of the training ground caught his eye – and he almost choked on his water.

It was Hinata! Naruto grinned at the pleasant surprise. Hinata rarely left the Hyuuga estate on the weekends. Her family kept her too busy with all their private instruction. But he was always happy to see his best friend. He jogged over to greet her.

"Hinata-chan! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be too busy to train with me today."

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata jolted in surprise. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't remember leaving the Hyuuga estate or automatically walking towards their training ground. She didn't even see Naruto until he announced his presence.

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto frowned. His friend looked pale – and dazed, like she had just woken from a dream. His eyes widened in alarm. "You're shaking!"

Hinata looked down slowly. Sure enough, her hands were shaking. She had been nervous, worried, terrified, panicked, determined, angry, shocked, and relieved – all within the space of an hour. But a Hyuuga was always dignified and self-contained. Excessive displays of emotion were frowned upon. So she had internalized and suppressed as many of those feelings as she could. It was too much. It needed an outlet. She looked at Naruto who was worriedly checking her over for injuries. His obvious concern for her well being touched her. Hinata sniffled. It made her so _happy_.

That last emotion combined with all the others finally broke her self control. Hinata started laughing and crying at the same time.

"Hinata-chan! What's wrong?" Naruto was worried before, but now he was absolutely frantic. He couldn't find anything physically wrong with her. She had simply grabbed onto him as if he were a lifeline. She wouldn't stop crying – and she wouldn't talk to him, either. In the end, he simply held her and let her cry all over his shirt. He did his best to comfort her by awkwardly patting her back. "Whatever it is… just stop crying, okay? I'll help you."

That only made her cry harder. Naruto snapped his mouth shut and decided not to say anything else, in case he just made things worse. After a several minutes, Hinata finally stopped crying and loosened her death grip on Naruto, though she didn't pull away completely. Hinata hiccupped a little. She was embarrassed for falling apart in front of Naruto, but he didn't seem to mind. And… she felt much better. They sat quietly for a few more minutes.

"My father ordered me to stop _associating_ with you."

Naruto felt his heart stop.

"I said, 'No.' Then I announced my intention to _disobey a direct order_ from my father!" Hinata said with more than a touch of disbelief. "I thought for sure that he would put the caged bird seal on me for that."

Naruto stopped _breathing_. His hand immediately flew to her head and brushed aside her bangs. Her forehead was unmarked. He released a shaky breath. If she had received the caged bird seal because of _him_… he would never forgive himself.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"N-N-Nothing." Hinata shook her head in amazement. "Nothing at all. Father was _impressed_ that I stood up to him. I don't believe it. I _impressed_ my father! That's impossible! I must be dreaming. Am I dreaming, Naruto-kun?"

"I doubt it, Hinata-chan." Naruto smiled. "You're a pretty impressive girl. It's about time your father realized it, too. I knew you'd show him eventually!"

Hinata blushed lightly. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." She leaned into his embrace and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

"Huh? Why? I didn't do anything. It was all you."

Hinata didn't say anything. She simply shook her head.

_You're wrong, Naruto-kun. You did __**everything**__. Because of you, I was able to change. I think… I know… I like myself more now. For you, I found the strength to stand up to my father. Thank you… for everything._

"I'm okay now, Naruto-kun. Let's go train."

* * *

The next day at the academy…

Naruto approached Hinata's desk during the short break between outdoor weapons practice at the target range and more history lessons (mostly about famous shinobi battles) in the classroom. He had been watching her closely all day – looking for any sign of distress or discomfort. Yesterday, Hinata had assured him that she was all right – and that her father would not punish her for choosing to remain his friend. But he had his doubts. What if her father changed his mind? Naruto was selfishly glad that Hinata was still his friend. But he didn't want to risk her well being. The first thing he checked that morning had been her forehead. It was still unmarked. (Thank goodness!) Still… Her clan might find other ways to punish her for _associating_ with the demon brat. To his great relief, Hinata appeared fine – if a little bit distracted.

"What is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata blushed when he put his hand on her clean forehead. Only time would ease his fears.

"Nothing. I'm just making sure you're okay." Naruto said seriously. "I want you to promise me something, Hinata-chan. I know that if you make a promise, you'll keep it – because we never go back on our words."

"What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll always tell me if you're _not_ okay. I want to be there to help you when you're sad or unwell."

"Only if… only if you promise me the same, Naruto-kun."

"It's a deal then!" Naruto grinned. He leaned in and peered closely at her face, making Hinata feel a bit light-headed.

_He's too close!_

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"Yes!" she squeaked.

"Just checking!" Naruto smiled. He straightened up – and returned to his desk...

At least… that had been the plan. Except, plans don't always work out.

Jirou who sat in the row in front of Hinata suddenly remembered that he'd left his weapons bag at the target range. He glanced at the clock. If he hurried, he could run out and retrieve it before Iruka-sensei returned and took attendance. He jumped to his feet – completely unaware that Naruto was standing directly behind him – and slammed into Naruto's back.

With that sudden jolt, Naruto pitched forward and fell right into Hinata. Luckily, his reflexes caught his forward momentum enough that he was able to keep most of his weight from landing and injuring Hinata. But… his face collided with hers. And…

_Their lips were touching!_

Wide blue eyes gazed into equally wide lavender eyes. For a split second, they were too shocked to move. And then…

Naruto jerked back as if he had been _burned_.

"Oh, my God! I'm _so_ sorry, Hinata-chan! Are you okay?"

Hinata's entire body was tingling. His lips… were… so warm and soft! She and Naruto-kun…

_We just… **kissed**._

Hinata fainted.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

(1) This was written for the Thirty Kisses (30kisses) community on Live Journal. More information about the Thirty Kisses challenge is in my author profile.

(2) 7 down, 23 kisses to go!

(3) Sorry about the delay in getting this chapter written and posted. I was side tracked by another NaruHina plot bunny that I just _had_ to write. If you haven't read it already, I invite you to check out my other Naruto fanfic: _Ten Defining Moments_.

(4) I'm not happy with this chapter. I meant for the confrontation between Hinata and Hiashi to be more… I don't know… just _more_. (_sigh_) I hope it wasn't too much of let down.

(5) This kiss was inspired by Naruto and Sasuke's accidental kiss in Episode 3. Naruto and Hinata weren't supposed to get any lip-to-lip contact for several more chapters. He was only supposed to kiss her nose or her forehead or _something _- not her mouth! Argh! Why did it come out this way? I guess my subconscious really wanted to have them kiss, even if it was an accident.

FYI, this won't change their relationship. Sorry to dash your hopes, but Naruto is still a dense boy. He isn't going to see Hinata in a romantic light for a while yet. Patience!

(6) Next Chapter Sneak Peak: Don't worry! There are no evil cliffhangers this time! This is one chapter that I've been _itching_ to write – I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I'm going to enjoy writing it!

_Chapter 8: Birthday Kiss (theme #11 gardenia)_

"_Naruto-kun, birthday presents don't have to cost money," Hinata protested. "Some of the best presents I've ever received were free."_

"_Oh yeah?" Naruto looked skeptical. "Like what?"_

(7) Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8A: Birthday Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #1 look over here

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 8a: Birthday Kiss**

Naruto frowned as he counted all the coins and loose bills spread out on his bed. Was this all the money he had? He counted again, but the total amount remained the same. It wasn't enough! He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had been saving for almost half a year and cutting corners everywhere! He turned off the air conditioner during the summer despite the sweltering heat to save on the electric bill. He continued using his old nicked and scratched practice weapons when should have replaced them months ago. He even limited himself to _one_ visit to Ichiraku's every two weeks instead of eating there once every few days. Ichiraku had fair prices so eating there wasn't expensive, but nothing was cheaper than instant cup ramen! He grimaced. Cup ramen was a poor substitute for Ichiraku's ramen. And Teuchi and Ayame had been giving him worried looks the last couple of times he'd stopped by. It couldn't be helped. He couldn't get a job, so he needed to save as much of his stipend as possible. He never had much money to begin with – being overcharged for everyday items didn't help.

Back when he was seven, he hadn't realized that _normal_ people didn't have to pay extra for the _privilege_ of shopping at the market for groceries and basic supplies. He was twelve now, a little older and a little more observant. He noticed the small details that he'd missed when he was seven, like how Iruka-sensei insisted on helping him buy all his school supplies every year, or how despite all the times Ichiraku-ojisan's supplier made "mistakes" and sent boxes of candies or small treats instead of flour or spices, Ichiraku-ojisan never seemed to mind. Naruto had never mentioned it to Iruka-sensei or Ichiraku-ojisan – because they never made a big deal out of it – but he was grateful to them. It warmed his heart to know that they cared about him enough to go out of their way to help him in little ways without ever expecting anything in return.

But the fact that they needed to help him at all was another painful reminder that he was _different_. It was just one more thing that set him apart from everyone else in the village. Why? Even after all these years, he still didn't understand why everyone in the village hated him so much! (The Sandaime Hokage would never tell him the reason, no matter how often he asked. So he learned to stop asking a long time ago.) When he was young, he sometimes tried to tell himself that the glares and the hateful whispers directed at him were a product of his overactive imagination. Perhaps he simply suffered from paranoia – except… Hinata could see them, too.

That led to the first hurdle in their burgeoning friendship.

* * *

**Three years ago…**

It was late afternoon. After a typical day at the Academy, Naruto and Hinata were headed towards the training grounds to practice their taijutsu – which meant that Naruto was walking with Hinata in _public_. He deliberately steered them away from the busiest streets in order to minimize his exposure to the villagers and their passive hostility. From the corner of his eye, he could see a young mother drag her child across the street when she noticed him approaching.

_Yeah. Typical. _

His shoulders sagged. He was used to being treated like a leper.

Naruto glanced at the girl walking beside him and felt some of his cheer return. Hinata acknowledged him and believed in him. He was important to her. The thought comforted him and made him feel as if he'd just won a lifetime supply of free ramen. As long as he had Hinata, he wasn't alone; his existence _meant_ something. She didn't know it, but she was the reason he could ignore the ice-cold glares of the villagers so easily.

As they walked past a modest café, he could smell the pleasant aroma of fresh baked bread and pastries. A cheerful sign above the door read "Emi's Bakery and Café." Several beautiful cakes and a collection of frosted pastries and artfully arranged fruit tarts were on display in the window. He wondered briefly if they tasted as good as they looked before he pushed that thought away. He knew from painful past experience that someone like _him_ would be unwelcome in someplace like _that_. He took a few more steps before he realized that Hinata was no longer beside him. Looking back, he spotted his best friend in front of the café.

"Hinata-chan? Is something wrong?"

"Ano… Would you mind if we stopped for a bit, Naruto-kun? Emi's makes the best cinnamon rolls in Konoha… and Hanabi-chan loves their strawberry shortcake, too… so I wanted to buy some for her."

"I don't mind, Hinata-chan. Your sister is so lucky to have you as her oneesan!"

Hinata blushed lightly at the compliment, but frowned when Naruto remained unmoving. "Aren't you coming inside with me, Naruto-kun?"

"Ah… Let's split up for a bit, okay?" Naruto shifted uneasily. Looking away, he caught sight of a bookstore down the street. "I want to look for a few scrolls on chakra theory while you're buying those cakes. See you in a few minutes, Hinata-chan!"

Before Hinata could object, he was already gone.

A few minutes later, Hinata stepped out of Emi's Bakery and Café with a small box of strawberry shortcake. She took a deep breath and deactivated her Byakugan. What she had seen had only confirmed her suspicions. Over the last two years, she noticed several odd facts concerning her best friend.

Fact 1: Almost every adult (except for the Hokage, Iruka-sensei, and Ichiraku-san) and nearly every child in the village hated Naruto. Hinata didn't need to hear the whispered words or dark mutters directed at her friend. She was Hyuuga – trained to read facial expressions and body language. She wasn't as skilled at interpreting non-verbal cues as her cousin Neji, but even she couldn't miss the disgust and loathing that Naruto faced on a daily basis.

Fact 2: Naruto never entered any stores or shops with her. He always made up some excuse to wait outside for her. The first few times that happened, she bought his excuses. Now she knew better. He was doing it on purpose. Naruto never patronized any stores or shops with her because most shopkeepers refused to serve him and threatened to hurt him if he didn't leave.

Hinata bristled indignantly. With her Byakugan, she had seen Naruto enter the bookstore across the street from the bakery, only to get verbally abused by the bookkeeper the moment he set foot in the shop. The bookkeeper had even thrown a heavy tome at Naruto's head. Only Naruto's quick reflexes saved him from a debilitating concussion. She wondered absently how the staff of Emi's Bakery and Café might have reacted if Naruto had joined her. Whatever else she was, she was a Hyuuga. It was akin to financial suicide to offend a Hyuuga customer. Would her presence have forced them to serve Naruto?

Fact 3: Naruto was a kindest, most caring individual she knew. He was her strength – her inspiration. He was also a bit dense and had a gift for annoying people by being brutally honest. (Naruto had no tact whatsoever.) And sometimes he made mistakes; he was only human.

Facts 1 and 2 were inconsistent with Fact 3. She knew her best friend better than she knew herself – and she knew that Naruto had done nothing to deserve that kind of treatment. She didn't know _why_ he was treated like a missing-nin who committed some unforgivable sin against the village. She only knew that whatever the reason was, it was _not_ Naruto's fault. It just wasn't possible! Naruto was too kind.

Naruto obviously knew he was persona non grata. The only question was: Did _he_ know why?

Would he… would he be offended if she asked him? She had been curious about it for over a whole year! By now, her curiosity was unbearable. It was like an itch in the back of her mind that couldn't be scratched. She could ask him. Right? They had been best friends for over two years. In that time, she had trusted Naruto with personal secrets and truths about the clan that were not normally shared with outsiders. Naruto had kept her secrets. She wanted… No. She _needed_ Naruto to trust her back. She wanted to prove to him that she could keep his secrets, too!

If she asked… Naruto wouldn't mind. Right? They were best friends, so she could ask him personal questions. Right? And… and he had to know that he could trust her. Right?

"Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan?"

She blinked in surprise at the hand waving in front of her face – and blushed.

"What were you thinking so hard about? I've been trying to get your attention for while!" Naruto grinned at her. "Did you get the cakes you wanted? I'm sure Hanabi will love them. Come on. We should get going… It's getting late. And I want to practice the kata that Gai-sensei showed us this morning! I can't let Lee beat me!"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion and let his words trail off. Hinata was acting strangely. He frowned.

"Hey… Are you okay, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata nervously pressed her fingers together. She could do this. Right.

"Ano… Naruto-kun? Why do the people hate you so much?"

Naruto flinched and took an involuntary step back. Suddenly, he felt like he was suffocating. His heart was pounding too fast. His breaths were coming too quickly. He tried to swallow and couldn't. Hinata was still watching him and waiting for an answer.

_Don't look at me._

"Naruto-kun?"

_Don't look at me._

"I… I have to go."

Naruto ran.

* * *

Maito Gai frowned at his youthful students – two of whom were decidedly _un_-youthful this fine morning. His third student, Lee kept glancing at his friends in concern. (Gai was absolutely _delighted_ to see his favorite student display such youthful care and affection for his friends! Yosh!)

Naruto had been unnaturally subdued – only perking up when he sparred with Lee – and his performance had been lackluster. Usually, he and Lee did their best to outperform each other. But lately, he did not seem to have the energy. In fact, he was barely keeping up with Lee! His normal vivacity was nowhere to be found. Hinata was even worse. She had dark circles under her eyes – evidence of sleepless nights – and her movements – usually graceful and fluid – were clumsy and stilted. Her performance was _appalling_. In just two days, she seemed to regress two _years_.

Naruto refused to look at Hinata – which made his sparring sessions with her very interesting indeed – and Hinata only had eyes for Naruto – which made teaching her anything a nigh impossible feat. It was clear that _something_ had happened between them.

Gai thought himself a patient man – he did not arrive at his current skill level by taking shortcuts, after all – and understood that even among the best of friends, sometimes differences of opinion were unavoidable. He had given them a few days to work through their differences on their own. Now, he was going to _insist_ on it.

"Practice is over for today," he said sternly.

Three heads shot up to stare at him in surprise. They had only completed three laps around Konoha and only performed several hundred sit-ups, push-ups, and squats. That didn't even count as a warm-up! Lee and Hinata were shocked in to silence. Naruto opened his mouth to object but was forestalled when Gai held up his hand for silence.

"Practice is over for today," he repeated. "It is clear to me that two of you are only wasting your time. Naruto. Hinata. Where has your youth gone? Your flames have been doused. I do not know what caused this quarrel between you – nor do I want to know. However, it is hurting your training. You must put an end to it.

"Or I will put an end to your training."

Hinata gasped. Naruto simply looked away in shame.

"Gai-sensei…" Lee bit his lip in distress and spoke up for his friends. "Surely… Surely, you don't mean that!"

"Lee! It brings me great joy to see that you care for your friends. But they must recover their focus. Otherwise, no matter how much I train them, they will not learn. Do you understand?"

Lee nodded reluctantly.

"Gai-sensei…" Naruto started, but then he stopped. What could he say? He didn't know.

"Lee and I are going to finish our warm up with another lap around the village. Then we will train at the Academy dojo for today. Naruto. Hinata. You two should stay here and clear the misunderstanding between you. If you cannot reach an accord, please do not come back tomorrow." Gai ruffled Naruto's hair with his right hand and gently pat Hinata's shoulder with his left. He smiled – not one of his blinding white smiles with teeth, but a soft smile that only lifted corners of his mouth. It was strangely out of place on him, yet felt so _right_. "I hope that you will return to me tomorrow. I have faith in you."

Gai stepped back and motioned to Lee. "Come, Lee. We shall leave them alone. Naruto and Hinata have something to do that is more important than training!"

Naruto watched with a sense of dread as Gai-sensei and Lee ran off.

He had hoped that Hinata would not notice the hatred and the angry looks directed at him. He had hoped that she wouldn't see how unpleasant the villagers were to him. It was futile, of course. As much as he wanted to, they couldn't always hang out in unpopulated areas, like empty training grounds or empty park benches. It was impossible. Hinata was smart and with her eyes… observant. She was too observant. He could feel Hinata watching him and tried to push back his rising panic. He was afraid. His fear was like ice in his veins; it froze his heart – but instead of numbness, it brought cold, cold pain. Could she see it? Could she see the reason he was so hated? And if she did… would she hate him, too? He couldn't… just _couldn't_ go back to the way things were! Alone. Friendless.

_Don't look at me. Please… Don't look at me._

They say that curiosity killed the cat. Hinata wished that it killed her instead.

Hinata blinked back tears. She shouldn't have asked him. It was none of her business. She had invaded his privacy. She had offended him _so much_ that he'd run away from her. And now… Now he wouldn't even look at her. She had tried to talk to him after classes – so that she could apologize – but apparently, he didn't want to talk to _her_ because he'd run away from her then, too. He hadn't even stopped when she called for him to wait. This was her chance to apologize – to beg for his forgiveness. She desperately wanted her friend back.

The silence that lingered between them was stifling. Hinata broke first.

"You don't have to tell me!" she blurted.

"What?!" Naruto jerked his head up to finally look at her – and was shocked at how miserable she looked.

"The other d-d-day… I shouldn't have asked. I'm s-s-sorry! I know I made you angry. It's none of my b-b-business. So… so I'm sorry! You don't have to tell me. So p-please… can we still b-b-be friends?" Despite her best effort, the tears fell. She raised her hand to wipe them away when she felt Naruto's hands stop her. She froze when she felt his hands on her face gently wiping her tears for her.

Naruto stared stupidly at her tears.

_Is she… crying… because of… me?_

The dampness underneath his fingertips confirmed what his eyes were telling him. _Idiot!_ He had been so worried that she might hate him – that she might not want to his friend anymore – that it never even occurred to him that she might worry about the _same_ thing! And now… He'd made her cry. _Stupid!_ He mentally kicked himself.

Hinata deserved his honesty.

"You don't have to be sorry," Naruto said softly. "You asked why everyone hates me. I _want_ to tell you. I would love to tell you why everyone hates me… why I've been told on more than one occasion to drop dead. If I died today, I'd bet my life that they'd all be celebrating and dancing in the streets tomorrow." He resolutely ignored her horrified expression. "I _want_ to tell you why… because that would mean that _I_ know the reason why. But I don't. I can't answer your question."

Hinata looked searchingly at his face. Naruto's expression was pained… but he was telling the truth. She could tell.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" she asked, confused.

Naruto let his hands fall and turned his back to her. He tensed. He could still feel her eyes on him.

"Stop looking at me!"

Hinata almost jumped at his rough command.

"I _hate_ looking in the mirror. Every time I look in the mirror I try to find _it_."

"It?"

"_It_. The thing that makes me so _repulsive_ to look at. The thing that makes everyone turn away from me. The thing that makes everyone treat me like I'm a monster. I've spent hours in front of the mirror trying to find _it_. Maybe I'm just stupid and ignorant like they say because I've never been able to find _it_.

"But you're smart, Hinata-chan… much smarter than I am. I know that if you look at me long enough… you'll find _it_. You'll see what they see. And you'll hate me, too. So please… don't look at me. I don't want you to hate me."

The pain and self-loathing in his voice hurt her heart – and cancelled out the joy that she felt upon discovering that Naruto didn't hate her, after all. In fact, Naruto thought that _she_ might hate _him_.

"That's impossible," she said firmly. She eyed him carefully. He looked ready to run again… _But I won't let you!_ Just to be safe, Hinata took one of his hands in both of hers and held it tightly. "There is _nothing_ you could ever do that would make me hate you."

"You don't know that."

Naruto still wouldn't look at her – instead, his eyes were fixed on their joined hands, as if he couldn't believe she was still there.

"Have you ever deliberately hurt anyone?"

"No!"

"Do you plan to turn traitor and leave the village?"

"No!"

"Have you ever betrayed me or exposed my secrets?"

"No!"

"Are you only pretending to be my friend so that you can steal the secrets of the Byakugan?"

"No!" Naruto was horrified that she might even _think_ such a thing. "I would _never_…"

"Then why would I ever hate you?"

"I don't know," Naruto admitted. He still sounded hesitant and uncertain – but at least, he was looking at her now. "Everyone else does. Why wouldn't you?"

"Well, maybe because I'm not everyone else. I'm your best friend!" Hinata gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Remember when Iruka-sensei covered _kekkei genkai_ earlier this year?"

Naruto nodded.

"A _kekkei genkai_ is a bloodline limit – a genetic trait or ability passed down through generations, usually within clans. Since the ability can only be inherited through blood, the ability cannot be imitated or copied by other people," he quoted with perfect textbook accuracy.

"Do you remember what he said about my eyes? The Byakugan is the _kekkei genkai_ of the Hyuuga clan; it grants me exceptional vision. _Byakugan!_" The veins around Hinata's eyes bulged as she activated her Byakugan. Instantly, the colors of the world faded into shades of gray while her peripheral vision expanded to encompass nearly 360 degrees – and she could see everything around her with sharp focus and perfect clarity.

Naruto pulled away instinctively and tried to hide from her enhanced sight, but it was futile. Hinata refused to let go of his hand. She stared at him for several long moments. He fought hard not to squirm under her intense scrutiny. Finally, she released the Byakugan.

"I've spent hours looking at you, Naruto-kun. I l-like… I like watching you," she blushed, but forced herself to continue. "Have you thought that maybe the reason you can't find _it_… is because _it_ doesn't exist? All I see is my best friend, Uzumaki Naruto. Sometimes, he's loud. And sometimes, he's a bit dense and a bit obnoxious…"

"Hey!"

"But mostly, he's hardworking, energetic, and kind. I don't know what the villagers see when they look at you. But I think… they must be blind and st-st-stupid because I see the most w-w-wonderful p-person I know."

Hinata could feel the blood rushing to her face at her _almost_ confession and fought to stay conscious.

"Hinata-chan… you…" What could he say to _that_? Naruto looked at her in pure wonder and amazement. She meant every word. He was simultaneously elated and humbled.

"And… S-Someday, he'll be Hokage! D-Dattebayo!"

Naruto laughed. His catchphrase was so unexpected and sounded so hilarious coming from his shy friend that he couldn't help it. He caught the glint of mischief in her eyes. She was _teasing_ him! He used his free hand to poke her in the ribs right where he knew she was the most ticklish.

"You're making fun of me!" He tried (and failed) to sound indignant. The smile on his face was a dead giveaway. He poked her again for good measure.

Hinata giggled.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan."

"You're welcome, Naruto-kun."

* * *

**Present day…**

Naruto smiled at the bittersweet memory.

That had been the worst… (He hesitated to call it a _fight_ because it hadn't been a _fight_ – not exactly anyways.)… stumbling block in their long friendship. Afterwards, their friendship was stronger than ever. Hinata had really _looked_ and didn't think there was anything wrong with him! Over the years, they did fight a handful of times – usually over something stupid and inconsequential. None of those subsequent fights ever made him feel as miserable as those few days before Gai-sensei forced them to work it out – because no matter what happened Naruto was confident in the strength of their bond.

He sighed. It was a good thing their bond was so strong, too, because Naruto was a _terrible_ best friend.

Naruto slowly stuffed his money back into Gama-chan, his green frog shaped wallet. It had been a gift from Hinata for his 8th birthday because she had noticed that he didn't own a wallet. Gama-chan was special because it was the _first_ birthday present he could remember receiving.

As he picked up the loose change on his bed, his eyes fell on the walrus-sleeping cap on the pillow – another gift from Hinata – this time for his 9th birthday – because the weather in Konoha had been unusually cold that year and she had been _worried_ that he might be cold at night. That was the first time he could remember anyone actually _worrying_ about him.

Under the pillow – hidden from sight – was a scroll on chakra theory with chakra control exercises specifically designed for young children; it was written in Hinata's neat calligraphy. She had painstakingly copied it from one of the training scrolls in the Hyuuga library and presented it to him for his 10th birthday – because that was the year they started practicing _jutsu_ (techniques) at the Academy. That was when they discovered just how _awful_ Naruto's chakra control was. (He could barely perform the standard _justu_ taught at the Academy!) The scroll didn't contain any _secret_ Hyuuga techniques – but it _was_ intended for young Hyuuga children. In fact, Hinata admitted that it was the first training scroll that all Hyuuga children received when they first started learning Jyuuken, the Hyuuga Gentle Fist style. Therefore, the scroll was easy to read and understand; it explained chakra theory in such a way that even a three year old could understand it! Naruto found it _extremely_ helpful and practiced the simple chakra control exercises nightly. He only wished that the Academy textbook had explained it even half as well.

Hinata didn't mention it, but by then, Naruto knew enough about the inner workings of the Hyuuga clan to know that Hinata had taken a huge risk for him. If anyone discovered he had that scroll, she would be in _deep_ trouble with her clan. Even though it didn't contain any secrets, it was still part of the clan's training methods and therefore off limits to outsiders. That scroll never left his apartment. And when he wasn't reading it, he kept it hidden.

A few weeks before his 11th birthday, Hinata stopped by his apartment for a short visit. She had casually asked him about the large potted plant he kept beside his bed, so Naruto confessed to a secret love of gardening. That year, she gave him a high quality gardening kit that was perfect for indoor use. It contained a small watering can, trowel, sharp clippers, and plant food – all in its own storage basket. The basket now sat on the floor between the potted plant and the bed.

Naruto reached for his goggles and put them on. These were also a gift – for his 12th birthday. He _knew_ that Hinata always listened to him. The goggles were concrete proof. Several days before his 12th birthday, he let his impatience get the better of him. He wanted to be a _real_ ninja already! He complained about it. Vociferously. He didn't expect Hinata to actually _do_ anything about it. (It wasn't _her_ fault he was just an academy student and not a ninja!) It was just nice to know that she was _paying attention_ to him. And he shamelessly took advantage of that fact. Looking back on it now, he was embarrassed about how _childish_ he must have sounded.

_"I know it's not a Leaf hitai-ate, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said when he opened the box. "But you can wear it around your head like one… And maybe… you'll feel more like a real ninja. I hope you like it."_

He did.

Naruto wore the goggles with pride. They sat on his forehead, instead of over his eyes – and he puffed up a _teeny tiny bit_. He wasn't a ninja yet, but the goggles _did_ make him feel better. He felt like he was practicing for when he finally earned the right to wear the official Leaf _hitai-ate_ (forehead protector).

Thinking about all the gifts Hinata had given him over the years, Naruto came to one depressing conclusion:

_I'm a terrible best friend!_

Every year, Hinata gave him wonderful birthday presents – gifts that while not very expensive, were obviously chosen with great care. And what had he done for her?

For Hinata's 8th birthday… he hadn't even known it was her birthday! No one, save Hinata, had ever given him a birthday present before. So he had never thought to _give_ any birthday presents in return. He hadn't even thought to ask her when her birthday was. In fact, had Iruka not casually asked him his plans for Hinata's birthday, he would have missed it entirely. Even so, it had been too late. Naruto had no time to get her anything – except a measly handmade birthday card and his heartfelt wishes for her to have a happy birthday.

For Hinata's 9th birthday, the date snuck up on him. Naruto had been so preoccupied with training that he _almost_ forgot. So he'd had no money saved to buy her anything. The only thing he had was a new bag of Kono-Baku candy – courtesy of Ichiraku-ojisan. Hinata insisted on sharing the candy with him, even though it was _her_ birthday present. Naruto privately thought that sharing the candy defeated the purpose of him giving it to her in the first place!

For Hinata's 10th birthday, he managed to save some money for a present, but forgot to account for the shopkeepers' _right-to-refuse-service_ policy – a policy that was reserved just for him. Naruto winced at the memory. He always had trouble buying things for _himself_. He didn't know _why_ he had thought it might be different if he was buying something for _Hinata_.

_Naïveté_. Probably.

In the end, he used the money to treat her to a meal at Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto winced again. That hadn't gone so well, either. Hinata had been sick that day. Her face had been beet red for the entire meal. She had barely eaten anything – and she could barely talk to him. She must have had a sore throat that hurt her to eat and speak. _Great. Just great._

Last year, for Hinata's 11th birthday, he _almost_ got it right. He remembered the date weeks in advance, saved money, _and_ he didn't make the mistake of trying to go shopping himself. He even put some extra thought into what Hinata might like best. He knew her little sister Hanabi liked to collect cute ceramic cats. Maybe Hinata would like one, too? So he enlisted Ayame-neesan's help. He gave her the money and asked her to buy one for him. He even wrapped it! But before he could give it to her… Several newly minted genin punks decided to rough him up a bit.

When he was much younger, he was often the favorite target of older bullies. Most of that stopped after he started training with Gai-sensei though. Naruto smirked. Bullies like to torment those weaker than themselves. Under Gai-sensei's tutelage, he became a target with more than enough skill to hit back _hard_. The more skill he gained in taijutsu, the less often he was targeted, until the bullying stopped altogether. Unfortunately, their new promotion from academy students to genin-level ninja must have made these particular genin bold. Naruto managed to _remind_ them why they had stopped picking on him years ago. But in the scuffle, he'd been forced to drop the box with Hinata's gift…

When he saw the broken pieces of the cat, Naruto wanted to scream in frustration. Wait. No he didn't. He wanted those punks to come _back_ so that he could beat them up. _Again_.

Hinata was his best friend! She always gave him wonderful gifts. She taught him basic etiquette (at his request) and helped him fix most of his social faux pas and gaffes. She helped him study and improve his written scores at the Academy.

And what had he done in return for her?

He couldn't even manage to get her birthday gifts right!

He really was a horrible best friend.

Naruto was determined. This year would be different. He remembered her birthday. He saved a lot more money. Iruka-sensei had already agreed to help him buy the gift. And _this_ time, he wasn't going to choose anything fragile! He was going to get the best, most expensive gift that he could afford. This year, his gift was going to be super awesome; it _had_ to be. Naruto had _four years_ of horrible (and missed) birthday gifts to make up for.

Now for the hard part: Deciding _what_ to get her.

He could think about that later though. He still had a few weeks left. For now, he needed to hurry or he was going to be late meeting Hinata.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) I'm so sorry! It's been two whole months since the last update! I have excuses, but I'm sure you don't want to hear them.

(2) Post part of chapter 8 _now_? Or wait and post the whole thing later? I was torn. I finally decided to post in parts – since I've had people asking me "Where are you?" I'm still here! And I _promise_ to have the second part of chapter 8 up within two weeks – not two months! It's already about 50 percent complete.

(3) FYI, one of the main reasons I took up this challenge was because of Sleepwalking101 on deviantART. She writes very good NaruHina fanfics and is currently taking the 100 themes challenge on DA. 100! She's writing 100 NaruHina oneshots. (She's already written 35 of 100 themes.) I'd been toying with the idea of taking the 30 kisses challenge for a very long time. When I saw her writing 100 NaruHina stories, it motivated me to get off my lazy butt and actually do it! Hey, if she can write 100, then I can write 30! Right? Anyways, if you love NaruHina, go check out her stories on DA. There's a link to her DA gallery in my profile.

(4) The original theme for this chapter was going to be theme #11 (gardenia). But after writing the flashback scene, I realized that theme #1 (look over here) worked a lot better. Crap. Now I'll have to come up with something else for theme #11 (gardenia).

(5) One reviewer mentioned that seeing the words "Flashback" and "(End)/Flashback" was disconcerting. So for this chapter, the flashback scene is formatted differently. Is this better (or worse) than italicizing the whole flashback scene? I'm just curious as to what type of formatting people prefer. Either way is fine with me.

(6) Please review. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 8B: Birthday Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #1 look over here

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 8b: Birthday Kiss**

_He could think about that later though. He still had a few weeks left. For now, he needed to hurry or he was going to be late meeting Hinata._

* * *

Hinata eyed the pile of clothing in Naruto's arms doubtfully.

"Naruto-kun… are you _sure_ you want to buy those? They're…" The first word that popped into her mind was _tacky_… followed quickly by _ghastly_. Hinata struggled to find a more diplomatic description. "They're… so _colorful_."

"I sure do, Hinata-chan! I don't mind the colors. Besides, these clothes are bargain! They're on clearance – and it's buy one get one free!"

Hinata privately thought that the only reason these particular clothes were almost free was because no sane person would want them! Was a lack of fashion-sense contagious? The very first thing Lee did nine months ago – when he graduated the Academy and was officially apprenticed to Gai-sensei – was copy Gai-sensei's style of dress. Hinata suppressed a shudder. Gai was a wonderful teacher and she owed him more than she could say for taking her under his wing all those years ago. And Lee was like the fun older brother she'd never had. But grown men and teenage boys were _not_ meant to wear matching skin-tight bodysuits in green spandex with orange legwarmers! It was unsettling.

_Maybe it __**is**__ contagious! I'd better keep an eye on Naruto!_

"Naruto-kun… I don't think you should get those – even if they _are_ on sale. At the very least, go try them on first… You may decide you don't like them, after all." _I hope._ Hinata pushed Naruto in the direction of the changing rooms.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

Hinata settled down to wait.

_Is this how it feels to be a girlfriend? Going shopping and helping your boyfriend pick out new clothes?_

She blushed and quickly dismissed that fanciful thought. She was being silly to think such things. If it weren't for Naruto's unfair treatment at the hands of the village storekeepers, she wouldn't even be here.

After Hinata realized how badly the storekeepers mistreated Naruto, by refusing to serve him – or worse, outrageously overcharging him for sub-par products – Hinata tested her theory by dragging Naruto along with her the next time she needed to buy something. She had been right. Her presence _did_ make a difference. It was one of the few times she was _happy_ to be the Hyuuga heiress. The words "He's with me." followed by the cool glare that _all_ Hyuuga possessed were usually enough to guarantee Naruto _fair_ service. Even the most belligerent storekeepers were not immune – though if looks could kill... Hinata shook her head. They didn't dare object. As the heiress of one of the richest clans in Konoha, one word from her – and she could financially _ruin_ a business. She had never liked wielding that kind of power, but now she was grateful. With it, she could help Naruto.

Hence, several times a year, Hinata went shopping with Naruto. However, this was the first time they'd ever gone shopping for clothes together. Initially, Naruto had balked at the idea of going to buy new clothes. (Did all boys inherently hate clothing stores – like cats hated water? Judging from Naruto's instant refusal, maybe they did; maybe it was genetic.) But Hinata had insisted. Naruto was quickly outgrowing everything he owned – besides which nearly everything he owned was threadbare from years of use. When hard logic didn't change his mind…

_"Please? Naruto-kun?" Hinata clasped her hands in front of her chest. "For me? I really want to do this."_

Well, what do you know? Ayame-neesan was right! Boys really _couldn't_ resist a girl's ultimate weapon: the infamous "puppy eyes."

Hinata's musings were cut short when Naruto stepped out of the changing room. She gaped.

"So… What do you think?" Naruto grinned. "It's kind of more colorful than I expected, but it's unique. I like it."

Hinata was not as fashion-conscious as the other kunoichi in her class. (Sakura and Ino made it a point to wear pretty clothes in the latest trends.) As a general rule, she preferred practicality to outward appearance. Her own clothes – navy capris, a black T-shirt, and a plain beige jacket – were sturdy, not fashionable – and made to withstand many intense training sessions. So she never expected to care one way or another what someone else was wearing. But this… It was _hideous_.

"Naruto-kun. Go back and change," she ordered firmly. "I am exercising my right as your best friend to veto your decisions. You are _not_ wearing _that_. Ever."

"What?! Why not? What's wrong with it?"

A better question would have been: What _wasn't_ wrong with it? Naruto was standing before her in a red-and-white, checkered tunic over which was fuzzy maroon vest. Too large lime green pants held at the waist with a bright yellow, corded belt completed the outfit. The mishmash of colors and patterns was making her eyes water and her head hurt.

"Just do it, Naruto-kun. You are not buying that outfit. I'll go pick out a few other things for you to try on."

An hour later, Hinata wanted to strangle her best friend. Instead, she picked out a few tasteful outfits that were reasonably priced – and that she knew were in his budget – and shoved him towards the changing rooms. Again. For some reason, Naruto kept choosing the _worst_ outfits offered in the entire clothing store! He was driving her crazy!

If he picked out one more atrocious outfit, she was going to hit him – with Jyuuken. Seriously. Then, it came: the final straw. Naruto walked out of the changing room in that… that monstrosity! To add insult to injury, Naruto was _smiling_. He actually _liked_ it! For the first time in memory, Hinata _glared_ at Naruto.

Naruto's smile didn't falter, but he cringed inwardly. _Hinata-chan is pretty scary sometimes._

"No."

"But…"

"Naruto-kun," she said slowly – making sure to carefully enunciate each word – as if she were explaining a new concept to a three year old. "A bright orange jumpsuit is not appropriate attire in our line of work."

"But I _like_ orange!"

"Are you suicidal?!" Hinata wasn't quite shouting – but it was a close thing. "Not only is solid _orange_ an eyesore, it practically screams '_Look over here!_' That outfit will get you killed by enemy ninja on your very first mission outside the village!"

"It's not _all_ orange. Look! There's some blue here around the shoulders – and the collar's white," Naruto protested. "Besides, it's made to last. See? The fabric is pretty thick and durable – and all the seams are reinforced. It'll last for years – even with the way we train!"

Hinata closed her eyes and silently counted backwards from 10.

"I don't care how good the fabric is or how much those seams are reinforced. Wearing that is like waving a red flag at a raging bull! Were you not listening when Iruka-sensei went over the importance of stealth?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Er… Yeah... I was listening."

"Then why are you being so… so _difficult_? Why are you choosing the ugliest, _cheapest_ clothes you can get away with?" Hinata froze as soon as she said those words. Everything – from his strange new fashion sense to his reluctance to shop – _clicked_.

Naruto wouldn't meet her eyes.

"That's it. Isn't it?" she said slowly. "You're choosing the most inexpensive things in the store… but… that doesn't make sense. Since we go shopping together, I _know_ you can afford a few decent things. So… why are you doing this?"

Hinata barely caught his mumbled answer. Her eyes widened in surprise and she felt a bit faint.

"What did you say?" she squeaked.

"I said…" Naruto cleared his throat, which only delayed the inevitable. "Um… I wanted… um… I want to get you something nice for your birthday."

"Really?" Hinata fought to keep a blush off her face. She was so very delighted that the mountain of frustration she was feeling just moments ago instantly crumbled into dust.

"Um… Yeah."

Hinata grinned. Naruto was so _cute_ when he was embarrassed!

"That's very sweet of you, Naruto-kun, but you don't have to get me anything."

"Yes, I do! I know I messed up with all your other birthday presents… but this year is going to be different! I'm going to get you the best present ever!"

Hinata blinked in surprise. Messed up with her other birthday presents? Did he really think that? Why? She had liked all of them. In fact, she even kept mementos of each gift in a lacquered keepsake box on her desk. The handmade card, a candy wrapper, a photo of herself and Naruto at Ichiraku Ramen (courtesy of Ayame-neesan who insisted on taking a picture of the "birthday girl"), and the red ribbon originally tied around the neck of the ceramic cat that Naruto had wanted to give her were carefully stored – and cherished.

"You think you messed up?! But I loved all your presents!"

"You're just saying that!" Naruto pouted.

"I'm not." Hinata shook her head. "I really liked them all."

"I'm _still_ going to get you something really nice for your birthday."

Hinata sighed in resignation. Naruto was being stubborn. He wasn't going to change his mind about getting her a gift, so she might as well give in gracefully.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. But please… Don't get anything expensive. Okay? You should spend your money on things you really need – like good quality clothes for yourself. And that orange combination you're currently wearing does not count!"

"If I do that, then I won't be able to afford something really nice!"

"Naruto-kun, birthday presents don't have to cost money," Hinata protested. "Some of the best presents I've ever received were free."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto looked skeptical. "Like what?"

"Like birthday kisses!" an unexpected voice chimed in.

"Ayame-neesan! What are you doing here?" asked Naruto. He turned to look at the girl that he thought of as an honorary older cousin, so he missed the deep red color that infused Hinata's cheeks at the word "kisses."

Ayame was not so unobservant – and winked at the younger girl.

"What? I'm not allowed to go shopping in my spare time?" She put her hands on her hips and mock glared at Naruto. "I looked over here and saw you guys, so I stopped to say 'Hi!' But now I'm wondering why I bothered."

"Sorry! I just didn't expect to see you."

"Never mind that." Ayame waved his apology away. "What's this I hear about birthday presents?"

"Hinata-chan's birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to get her something nice."

"B-but… I don't want Naruto-kun to buy me anything ex-expensive!"

"Hinata's right, Naruto. Sometimes, it's the thought that counts more than the physical present. The physical present is only important because of what it represents; it's a reminder that someone cared to wish you a happy birthday. Sometimes, the best present is one that you can't buy from a store."

Naruto understood what Ayame was saying. He really did! But how else could he prove to Hinata (and to himself) that he was a good friend, if he didn't buy her something really nice?

"Okay. Give me an example."

"Birthday kisses for one – we girls love them," Ayame grinned when Hinata blushed again. "Seriously though, you should really be asking Hinata what she would like."

"I don't want you to buy me anything. Honest!" Hinata pressed her fingers together – and fidgeted nervously. "What I would really l-like… is to just spend the day with my best friend."

"But that's not special!"

_You're wrong, Naruto-kun. It __**is**__ special… to me._

"We do that all the time! We train with Gai-sensei in the morning, sit next to each other at the Academy, and train after classes. We spend a lot of time together already!"

"Baka!" Ayame reached over and bopped Naruto's head with her fist.

"Ow!"

"She means she wants to spend a day with you doing _fun_ things! Not training!" Ayame scolded. "I swear! You… you… ninja-wannabe! You're _always_ training. Hinata's more than just a sparring partner. She's a girl, too. So take the day off – and go do what _she_ wants to do! Take her out for a day on the town or for a nice relaxing picnic at the park or something! Make sure she has fun! And don't even _think_ about training!"

Naruto rubbed the top of his head where Ayame had hit him. He looked thoughtful.

"Is that what you really want, Hinata-chan?" he asked. "To spend a fun day together? No training?"

"Y-yes!"

Truthfully, Hinata loved spending time with Naruto period. It didn't matter to her if they spent the whole day training. But… A day with Naruto's full attention on _her_, instead of training? A day like the one Ayame-neesan just described? That was… was like a real _date_! She hadn't meant _that_ when she asked to spend the day with Naruto – not at all! Any time spent with Naruto was special to her.

However, Ayame's interpretation (or rather… her deliberate _mis_interpretation) of her simple request was like a dream come true.

"Okay! For your birthday, I'll make sure you have a great time, Hinata-chan! It's a promise!"

Ayame could barely restrain the urge to giggle. Hinata looked like she wanted to pass out – though Naruto was oblivious to it. She could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he tried to come up with ideas for "fun" things to do with Hinata. They were just so _cute_ together. She caught Hinata's eye and silently mouthed: 'You can thank me later.'

Hinata made a sound halfway between a laugh and a squeak.

"Great! I'm glad that's settled." Ayame clapped her hands. Then she eyed Naruto dubiously. "Now, what are you _wearing_?!"

"These are my new clothes." Naruto said proudly. "Do you like them?"

"They're orange."

"I know! Isn't it _cool_? Orange can be… like my trademark! I'll be the only ninja in the Elemental Nations with this color!"

"But Naruto… They're _orange_."

"Yes. We've established that." Naruto huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms.

"Is he serious, Hinata-chan?" Ayame asked. "He really wants to buy _that_?"

"Y-yes."

Naruto's danger sense started to tingle when Ayame and Hinata seemed to communicate in some kind of secret girl code. _Uh oh…_ He turned to run, but it was too late. Ayame's arm shot out and snagged the back of his collar.

"Hey! Let me go!"

"Let's go get you some _proper_ clothes, Naruto-_chan_."

"G-Gomennasai, Naruto-kun. It's for your own good."

Several hours later, Ayame snatched Gama-chan from Naruto's unwilling hands and paid for all his purchases. Naruto was annoyed. He wasn't used to having people tell him what to do or, in this case, what to wear. Both Ayame and Hinata had forced him into trying on a lot more clothes than he had been comfortable with. When he tried to protest, one look at their wide pleading eyes and he found himself caving in.

(_Yes! The puppy eyes strike again!_ Ayame thought victoriously.)

Naruto pouted. He really _did_ like orange – and really did think it would be cool to have it as his trademark color. But Ayame and Hinata had firmly vetoed that idea. In the end, after much negotiation, they had reached a compromise. Naruto was allowed to choose several _dark_ orange shirts that were the color of fall leaves – and _not_ the bright, almost blinding color he originally wanted – if he allowed the girls to choose the rest of his wardrobe. Ayame, as a civilian and as a teenaged girl who loved to shop, had a good eye for quality fabrics and classic styles. She selected clothing in dark, neutral colors (blues, blacks, and browns) for Naruto, insisting that those colors made him look mature and respectable – as if he wasn't already mature and respectable! Hinata picked out a dark brown – almost black – fitted jacket for him with a removable thermal lining so that it could be worn comfortably in both warm and cold weather. The back of the jacket had a red swirl in the center, just like the red swirl on the back of most jounin and chunin vests. It wasn't something he would have chosen for himself. But he had to admit it looked… good, really good.

As he trudged home under the weight of several gigantic shopping bags stuffed full of clothes and accessories, his annoyance faded and was replaced by pleasure. Despite being bossed around by two girls, Naruto was strangely happy because it was further proof that they cared. True, Ayame and Hinata had bossed him around. But they did it because they wanted to help him – even if they did go a little overboard. In the end, it had been… fun. He rarely shopped for himself unless it was a desperate necessity. Today had been a sinful indulgence, buying new things that had nothing to do with basic necessities or school supplies. He sighed. Gama-chan was skinny again.

But that was okay, too. Hinata _did_ say that she didn't want him to buy anything for her.

_Well that's too bad – because I'm definitely going to get something for her. Ayame-neesan said it's the thought that counts and it's what the present __**represents**__ that matters._

Naruto smiled as an idea formed. He quickly dropped all his shopping bags just inside the door of his apartment and locked up again. He had to find Iruka-sensei.

_I know exactly what to get her._

* * *

On December 27th …

Ino sighed and propped her chin on her hands as she slumped over the counter of her family's flower shop. Normally, she didn't mind spending her weekends working at the shop. She loved everything about flowers from planting them and watching them grow to arranging them in artful floral bouquets to studying the language of flowers. She also loved chatting with the customers and catching up on the latest gossip with them. But…

_Today is just so boring!_

Business during the winter months was a lot slower than any other season. She had only had _one_ customer all morning!

_Oh well… Daddy always says I should look on the bright side of things. This just gives me more time to think about how I'm going to prove that I'm better than Forehead Girl! Then Sasuke-kun will notice me for sure!_

But even that was getting old. Sure, Sasuke was really cute and mysterious – but he was also cold and aloof to the point of being cruel. Ino felt a bit guilty thinking such negative thoughts about her crush. But after years of rejection, most of Sasuke's allure had worn off. Recently, she found herself going through the motions only to annoy her rival and ex-best friend, Sakura, and not because she honestly wanted Sasuke's attention. Sometimes, she still couldn't believe that she had lost her best friend over a stupid boy.

_Boys are so stupid!_

Just look at Naruto! He had to be the densest boy in all of Konoha. All the girls and probably most of the guys in their class knew that Hinata had a massive crush on him – almost from day one. Ino was an expert at reading the signs, besides which Hinata didn't hide them very well at all. Yet the boy was oblivious. Thinking about Hinata's unrequited crush on Naruto was depressing. Hinata might not have Naruto's _romantic_ attention, but at least she had his attention – and she was Naruto's best friend. Compared to her, Ino was so far behind it wasn't even funny. Ino had none of Sasuke's attention – she couldn't even say that they were friends. Sasuke didn't have any friends.

Ino was _almost_ jealous of Hinata. She was rich. She was the best kunoichi in their class. And she was such a sweetheart that all of the girls, including Ino, genuinely liked her. (It helped that Hinata was so head over heels for Naruto that none of them saw her as competition for their precious Sasuke-kun.) Hinata was not as pretty as herself, of course – but she was cute. Most of all, she was close to the boy that she liked – a boy that cleaned up _really_ well.

_Who knew that Naruto could be so hot?_

When Naruto ditched the rags and exchanged them for black pants, a burnt orange t-shirt, and clean-cut jacket that he wore open, most of the girls agreed: Naruto was cute! How come they never noticed before? The transformation from dirty street urchin to cute classy pre-teen was astonishing. He wasn't as good-looking as Sasuke, of course! But he was one of the few that actually challenged Sasuke at the top of the class. Plus, Naruto was all the things Sasuke was not: kind, friendly, and approachable. Too bad Hinata had staked her claim on him years ago! Hinata was a good friend. Besides, she was just so sweet that Ino felt guilty if she even _thought_ about flirting with Naruto!

The cheerful tinkle of bells pulled her from her thoughts.

"Hi! Welcome to Yamanaka's Flowers for All Occasions. May I help you?" she asked automatically. Then she got a good look at her newest customer and sat up in surprise. "Naruto?! What are you doing here?"

The blonde boy rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Ah! I'm on my way to meet Hinata-chan and I saw you in the window… so I thought I'd stop by and say hi… and I wanted to buy some flowers for Hinata-chan," Naruto said. That last part came out in a rush.

"Could it be you're trying to ask Hinata out on a _date_?" Ino grinned slyly.

"What?! No!"

_Drat. He's still as dense as ever._

"Then why do you want to get her flowers?"

"It's her birthday today," Naruto explained. "So I thought it would be nice to get her some flowers."

Ino perked up immediately. This was her area of expertise.

"That's great, Naruto! What kind of flowers would you like to get her?"

Naruto took a good look around and was almost overwhelmed by all the colors and fragrances surrounding them. There were roses, tulips, daffodils, lilies, orchids, carnations, and at least two dozen other varieties that he couldn't even begin to name. He'd never bought flowers before. What would Hinata like?

"Actually, I have no idea," he said sheepishly.

"Well," Ino tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What kind of message would you like to give her with the flowers?"

"Message?"

"Every flower has a meaning. For example, red roses mean passionate love, daisies mean innocence, and white tulips ask for forgiveness. So what would you like to say to Hinata?"

Naruto was quiet for a moment.

"How about something that says how happy I am to have her as my friend – and that I hope she has a happy birthday. Can you find something like that for me?"

"Of course!" Ino stood and walked around the shop mentally reviewing each flower and what they represented.

_Hmm… Not roses then. Shame. Baby's Breath means happiness. But let's see what else I can find. Orchids are for beauty. Tiger lilies are for wealth and pride. Geraniums are for comfort and friendship. That might work. Daffodils are for chivalry or unrequited love. No. Absolutely not. That won't do at all!_

And then her eyes fell upon a bouquet of lovely white blossoms. Ino's eyes lit up and she almost giggled.

_Gardenias! This is perfect!_

Ino picked up the bouquet and wrapped it carefully. Then she handed the flowers to Naruto who had waited patiently.

"Mmm… smells nice. What are these?"

"These are gardenias – for joy. I'm sure Hinata will love the message behind them."

"Joy? That's a good message. Thanks, Ino!" Naruto happily paid for his purchase.

The bells over the door tinkled after him as he left. Only then did Ino succumb to giggles. _Hinata is definitely going to love them – especially once she remembers the __**second**__ meaning of gardenias!_

* * *

Naruto waited outside the main gates of the Hyuuga estate impatiently. He couldn't wait to give Hinata her birthday present! Just then Hinata stepped outside. Naruto almost _bounced_ up next to her.

"Happy birthday, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata's vision was suddenly full of white gardenias. She blushed. Flowers? For her? From Naruto?

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. These are very pretty."

"Ino helped me pick them out. She says that gardenias mean joy. That's why I got them for you - because I'm happy that we're friends and because I wanted you to have a happy birthday! Do you like them?"

"I do. Thank you."

"Are you ready to go?" Naruto was almost bouncing with excitement again.

"Just a moment, Naruto-kun." Hinata stepped back inside the estate and waved a passing servant over. She handed the older woman the bouquet. "Makoto-san, would you please put these in some water and take them to my rooms?"

"Of course, Hinata-sama," Makoto bowed.

"Thank you, Makoto-san." Hinata stepped back outside and smiled at her impatient friend. "I'm ready now, Naruto-kun."

"Let's go!"

That evening, Hinata sat on top of the Hokage Monument watching the sunset with Naruto. This had been the _best_ birthday she could remember. After Naruto had given her the flowers, he took her to a pretty meadow just outside the village walls where a picnic lunch was waiting. Naruto confessed that Ayame had helped him with most of the food, since he couldn't cook. In return, he took over her dishwashing duties at Ichiraku Ramen for two full weeks. The food was delicious – especially the yakitori and the sweet bean dumplings she had made for dessert. Ayame was the daughter of a ramen chef, so her cooking skills were well above average.

Naruto and Hinata spent hours sprawled out in that meadow lazily enjoying the day and each other's company – Shikamaru would have been proud of them. In the afternoon, Naruto had suggested a game of ninja tag. (Actually, he'd interrupted her cloud gazing by tapping her shoulder, calling out "You're it!" and dashing into the forest with an unfair head start.) Hinata wasn't sure, but she could have sworn they scared away all of the local wildlife with their carefree laughter and their enthusiastic game of ninja tag. At the end of it all, Hinata had been red faced and panting with exertion – but it had been worth it. She couldn't remember ever having had as much fun!

They walked back into the village to cool down and Naruto led her to the Konoha Public Park. Iruka had told him about an amateur acting troupe that was putting on free outdoor performances to gain experience. They weren't very good, but the short plays were still fun and amusing to watch. After the plays, Naruto spotted an ice cream vendor and bought Popsicles for both of them. They wandered aimlessly through the village eating their Popsicles and somehow ended up at the Hokage Monument just in time to watch the sunset.

Hinata didn't want this day to end! But the sun refused to grant her wish and continued its journey westward. Soon the last golden rays disappeared beyond the horizon. Naruto got to his feet and gave her a hand up.

"Come on, Hinata-chan. It's getting late. I'd better walk you home."

The walk back to the Hyuuga estate was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Before long, they were standing before the main gates of the Hyuuga estate.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said sincerely. "I had a really good time today. This was a wonderful birthday."

"I'm glad. I had fun, too," Naruto admitted. "Maybe we should do this more often. You know… take a day off every now and then."

"I'd like that." Hinata found her heart beating faster and prayed that she didn't sound overeager. "Goodnight."

She started towards the main gates, but before she could go, Naruto stopped her.

"Wait, Hinata-chan. I actually have two more gifts for you."

"Really?" Hinata blinked in confusion. "I thought this entire day was my birthday present – and you already surprised me with flowers this morning. You don't have to give me anything else, Naruto-kun."

Naruto laughed.

"I know. But I just didn't feel right not getting you a _real_ present. Here." He took a small box from his pocket and shoved it into her hands. "Open it."

Hinata carefully removed the plain wrapping paper and lifted the lid. It was a silver necklace in the shape of half a heart that was a little less than one inch tall.

"Oh!"

"It's a friendship pendant. See? I have the other half." Naruto pulled a matching silver necklace out from under his shirt. "I got the idea when Ayame-neesan said that presents are only important because of what they represent. Here, put the two pieces together and apply a little bit of chakra."

Naruto's half of the necklace was still warm from being worn against his chest. Hinata blushed when she took it from his hand – glad that the night was dark enough to conceal the pink tint in her cheeks. She did as he asked and applied a little bit of chakra while holding the two pieces together. The two halves glowed blue for an instant. When the glow faded, the two pieces were joined seamlessly in a single heart. Hinata held the silver heart up to catch more of the moonlight. There was something engraved on the necklace.

"It says 'Naruto and Hinata' on one side – and 'Best Friends' on the other."

Hinata was touched beyond belief. She threw her arms around him impulsively. Naruto stumbled a little at the unexpected contact, but hugged her back.

"I love it! I'll treasure it always," she promised. Hinata examined the necklace again. "How do I separate the pieces?"

"Just cancel the chakra stored in the necklace, as if you were canceling a jutsu or genjutsu."

"Kai!"

Once again, the necklace glowed blue. Only this time, when the glow faded, the necklace broke apart returning to the original two halves of a heart. Naruto took his half back and slipped it on around his neck again. Hinata slipped hers on as well and silently vowed that she would never take it off.

"You said you had two more gifts. This is one. What's the other one?" Hinata asked curiously.

"About that… Could you look over here for a moment?" Naruto gestured to something on his left.

Hinata automatically turned her head to look. Her forehead furrowed in puzzlement.

"I don't see any…"

Warm lips caressed her cheek.

Naruto stepped back and grinned at her stunned expression.

"Happy birthday, Hinata-chan!"

* * *

That night, just as Hinata was drifting into slumber, the delicate fragrance of gardenias teased at her senses and nudged at a half forgotten memory.

_Gardenias mean 'joy' in the language of flowers… but wasn't there something else, too?_ She thought drowsily. _I'm sure there was. Gardenias also mean…_

Suddenly, Hinata gasped and bolted upright. Heart pounding, she raised her hand to the cheek that Naruto had kissed and stared at the innocent bouquet of white blossoms in a crystal vase beside her bed.

_Gardenias also mean… 'I love you in secret.'_

Hinata blushed bright red even though no one was there to see it. Ino was _teasing_ her! Was she really _that_ obvious? Now wide-awake, Hinata made a new vow.

_I am going to __**strangle**__ Ino!_

* * *

Across town, in his tiny apartment, Naruto sat on the windowsill and stared out at the full moon. He was also wide-awake – and very, very troubled. For a split second, just before he gave Hinata her birthday kiss, he had been tempted to steal a _real_ kiss from her – and kiss her pretty pink lips.

He had _wanted_ to kiss Hinata – and not in a safe platonic way.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! I can't believe I'm even __**thinking**__ this!_

But he couldn't seem to control the direction of his thoughts. Hinata didn't have Ino's classic beauty or Sakura's exotic coloring, but she was very pretty in her own right. Tonight, under the moonlight, Naruto had found her breathtakingly _gorgeous_. The moonlight had highlighted her perfect complexion and delicate features. She was… simply _perfect_. He shook his head trying to rid himself of those traitorous thoughts. He shouldn't be thinking of Hinata like _that_ – like he was _attracted_ to her. She was his best friend – and the best thing that ever happened to him. There was no way he was going to ruin it all because he couldn't control his hormones. Besides, didn't Hinata already like some stupid boy?

_She doesn't like me like that. I've got to get over this…this… whatever this is._

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window. If he stopped thinking about it, then maybe this strange new urge to kiss his best friend would _go away_.

He could only hope.

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

(1) 8 down, 22 kisses to go!

(2) There! See? I didn't make you wait too long. Part A had the serious emotional angsty stuff. So part B is _all_ humor and NaruHina fluff! I had to balance it out somehow! D

(3) Either theme #1 (look over here) or theme #11 (gardenia) would have worked for this chapter. But somehow, I think theme #1 (look over here) worked better – especially with part A.

(4) Gardenias typically bloom in spring or summer, while Hinata's birthday is December 27th. But! I've never seen Konoha in any type of weather except spring and summer. Even in Neji's flashback of Hinata's birthday (Episode 61) there's no snow and no one looks cold. Let's just assume that Konoha is in a very temperate and tropical-ish zone and that in Konoha, gardenias can bloom in December.

(5) Flower meanings were taken from the following websites: www (dot) aboutflowers (dot) com / floralb5.html and www (dot) iflorist (dot) com / en / gifts / meaning.

(6) **EDIT**: Naruto's new look was partly inspired by a hot hot hot fanart on DeviantART: adikk (dot) deviantart (dot) com / art / naruto-bishie-by-jadeedge-74105270

(7) No sneak peek of the next chapter this time. Sorry! I haven't ironed out enough of the details yet. Too many scenes may or may not be edited out. I only have a bare bones outline of the next chapter so far. But I will say this: The next chapter finally takes us to their genin exams and the Mizuki incident.


	10. Chapter 9A: Blowing a Kiss

**Title**: One Small Step

**Author**: Shawny Wong

**Pairing**: Naruto/Hinata

**Theme**: #17 kHz (kilohertz)

**Disclaimer**: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

**Summary**: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step.

* * *

**Chapter 9a: Blowing a Kiss**

Naruto slowly dropped to the ground panting and took deep breaths to restore oxygen to his exhausted body. He was dirty, dead tired, and so very hungry that he'd passed the stomach aching stage and moved on to the light headed stage long ago! He hadn't slept in three days and hadn't eaten in two. Despite his physical discomforts, he was _elated_. If he'd had the energy, he'd be jumping for joy.

_I did it! I finally mastered the bushin no jutsu!_

He looked around the tiny clearing at the seven…

_Seven!_

… clones of himself. They all looked _just_ like him – with the same dirty grass stains on their identical orange T-shirts, complete with matching twigs in their hair. None of them were deformed! Not a single one looked unhealthy or pale! He _finally_ mastered his worst technique – the one that would have prevented him from graduating with Hinata – and it was all thanks to her.

Naruto had always had poor chakra control. He'd had no idea why his chakra control was so bad until Hinata used her Byakugan to examine his chakra coils more closely when they were ten. She found them to be unusually large and almost constantly full no matter how often he performed the standard Academy techniques. He didn't understand the correlation between large chakra coils and poor chakra control until Hinata used a water analogy to explain it to him. If chakra was like water, then most Academy students had about a bathtub worth of chakra at their disposal; Naruto had small lake at his.

"_Isn't that a good thing?" he wondered aloud. "More is better. Right?"_

Hinata only shook her head. Then she gently explained to him that while more chakra was better – for performing more high-ranked jutsu – it was a bad thing for chakra control. The more chakra he had, the harder it was to control. Most Academy students could use a cup to pull a percentage of their "water" into productive techniques. Naruto had a cup, too – except he had too much "water." Although he pulled the same percent of "water" out, he was actually getting a lot _more_ "water" than all the other students. So his "water" kept spilling out of his cup every time he tried to use it.

It wasn't a perfect analogy, but Naruto got it.

Too much chakra was _bad_ for learning how to control it.

On the bright side, he would probably have an easier time learning high-ranking, chakra-intensive ninjutsu… someday… far in the future. Currently, it made learning basic ninjutsu at the Academy _very_ difficult. For some reason, the _bushin no jutsu_ (clone technique) gave him the most trouble. Two weeks before graduation, Naruto was beginning to panic. He still couldn't make proper clones! What was he going to do?

_I have to graduate with Hinata. I just __**have**__ to!_

Just the thought of being separated from Hinata made him sick – and panicky. What would he do without his best friend? And if Hinata graduated and became a ninja before he did, then she would be sent out on missions without him. What if she got hurt on a mission because he wasn't there to help her? A tiny part of him wondered why he wanted… _needed_… to stay with Hinata so badly, but the rest of him ruthlessly squashed that tiny part and buried it deep in his subconscious. (Naruto stubbornly refused to examine his feelings for Hinata too afraid of what he might find.)

_I just have to graduate with Hinata. That's all._

But that was easier said than done. Until, his brilliant best friend came up with the most brilliant idea ever!

* * *

**A few days ago…**

"What is chakra?" Hinata asked suddenly at lunchtime. Her chopsticks stopped in midair with a rice ball halfway to her mouth.

Naruto looked bemused.

"Huh? You know the answer to that already, Hinata-chan. That's stuff we learned when we were seven!"

"Humor me, Naruto-kun," Hinata said slowly. "I think I have an idea."

"Chakra is the combination of mental, physical, and spiritual energies in the body."

"… combination of mental, physical, and spiritual energies…" she muttered. "What if… what if we're doing it all wrong?"

"What do you mean? Doing _what_ all wrong?" Naruto asked completely lost.

"We've been trying to improve your chakra control to the point where you can perform the _bushin no jutsu_ properly. Right? Improving chakra control takes a long time – a lifetime even, if you want to become a medic-nin – especially since your natural chakra reserves are so high. We don't have that much time because graduation is in less than two weeks."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed glumly. He put aside his cup ramen at the reminder of his impending doom. He wasn't hungry anymore.

"What if you had smaller chakra stores… temporarily? If you had the same amount of chakra as a normal Academy student, wouldn't your control be just as good? It might even be better considering how often you practice the chakra control exercises from _that_ training scroll," she said, referring obliquely to the Hyuuga training scroll she had copied for him.

"Yeah. But we tried that already. Remember? I can't burn through enough chakra fast enough. All we know are D-ranked Academy jutsu! I can perform those all day and all night and not drain my chakra significantly. And as soon as I get a little bit of rest, I'm back up at 100 percent!" It was odd how quickly he recovered his chakra.

"Mental, physical, and spiritual energies." Hinata ticked off each point with her fingers and turned to him in excitement. "You can't drain enough chakra by using the D-ranked techniques we know. But what if you drained chakra's component energies? I don't know how to drain spiritual energy, but what about _mental_ and _physical_ energies? Couldn't you drain _those_?"

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Yes!"

* * *

Naruto forced himself to stay awake three nights in a row. To further drain his mental energy, he spent those nights studying and reviewing all the genin-level training scrolls Hinata checked out of the Konoha Library for him. He even borrowed several basic science textbooks from Iruka-sensei _and_ read them from cover to cover! By the start of each morning, his head was swimming with facts and he was so mentally exhausted that he wasn't sure he could spell his own name anymore! The days were no easier than the nights. He skipped out on the last two days of classes in order to put himself through an intense physical workout that would have made Gai-sensei proud. He alternated between laps, conditioning exercises, and katas for hours on end. He didn't give himself any time to rest because he was afraid that he would fall asleep if he did. To further drain his physical energy, he skipped his meals, too. By the end of three days, Naruto was so physically exhausted that if he had to spar against a rabbit _right now_, Naruto was _sure_ that the rabbit would win.

Then came the moment of truth.

"_Bushin no jutsu_!"

Seven _perfect_ clones popped into existence.

_Yes! I did it! _Naruto dropped to the ground ecstatic and completely worn out.

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun! I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. I couldn't have done it without you." Naruto looked up at Hinata and gave her a tired grin. "It was your idea. You are absolutely _brilliant_!"

Naruto closed his eyes and attempted to stifle a yawn, so he didn't see the instant blush that colored Hinata's cheeks at his words.

"Oh man! I'm so tired and _hungry_! At least, I mastered the _bushin no jutsu_ in time for graduation!" He was suddenly struck by an unpleasant thought. Naruto groaned in dismay. "Oh no! I have to do this _again_ right before graduation, don't I?"

Hinata giggled at the pitiful look on his face.

"I'm afraid so, Naruto-kun. Cheer up! You made perfect clones. Now that you can do the _bushin no jutsu_, the graduation exam will be a breeze for you. Here," she said pulling an enormous bento box out of her backpack. "I made you lunch."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan! You're a lifesaver!"

* * *

The day of their graduation exam was bright and sunny with not a single cloud in the sky.

Instead of their normal morning classes, students in their last year of the Academy gathered in the main dojo for the first of three exams: the taijutsu exam. It was held tournament style. Students didn't have to win their matches to pass the taijutsu portion of the final exam as long as they demonstrated proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. Points were awarded based on performance. However, the taijutsu tournament was also used to rank the students within the class – and extra points were awarded based on rank. (The winner of the tournament automatically received an additional thirty points. The second ranked student received 25 additional points. And the student who placed last in the tournament received no additional points.)

Though Naruto – who had not slept nor eaten in the last two days before the exam – was not at his best, he still managed to rank within the top five. Under the circumstances, Naruto was _amazed_ that he'd done so well. Years of hard work and training under Maito Gai had given him skills in taijutsu that were _far_ superior to most of his peers. He won his first three matches quickly even though he was fighting on autopilot and moving slower than normal. (Naruto silently thanked his lucky stars for giving him opponents that _sucked_ at taijutsu!) Unfortunately, the opponent for his forth match was Uchiha Sasuke – and Sasuke was no pushover. Fighting against Sasuke required more speed, energy, and concentration than Naruto had to give. After a few minutes, Naruto was a split second too slow to dodge a roundhouse kick and was unceremoniously knocked out of the ring.

Naruto grimaced. He had passed the taijutsu portion of the exam with flying colors and ranked better than he had expected. But… He had lost to _Sasuke_ of all people! Why couldn't he have lost to Hinata? Or Shino? Even losing to Kiba would have been better than losing to Sasuke!

_The bastard's too stuck up by far. Ugh! His I'm-better-than-you attitude makes me want to puke. Now he's going to be unbearable. He'll rub this win in my face for years. I just know it! I'm sure I could have won… if only…_

Naruto's stomach growled. He sighed.

… _if only I'd had breakfast first._

The second exam took place in their regular classroom. It was a written exam that touched on all the subjects they had learned throughout their years at the Academy, including history and basic strategy. After staying up two nights in a row studying scrolls and reading science textbooks – not to mention _years_ of Hinata's studious influence – Naruto could have passed the written exam in his sleep. As it was, the hardest part of the written exam was trying to stay awake long enough to finish taking it!

"Naruto-kun? Are you okay?"

"What?" Naruto jumped in surprise and looked around the empty classroom. When had they collected the written exams? "Oh. Hinata-chan. Sorry about that. I must have spaced out. Did you say something?"

Hinata bit her lip. She didn't like seeing him so exhausted. And…

_This is all my fault!_

"Would you like to go outside? We have an hour before the ninjutsu exam. We don't have to be back here until after lunch."

Naruto's stomach growled again – and he wanted to cry. The ninjutsu exam just _had_ to be the third and _last_ exam of the day!

"No thanks, Hinata-chan." Naruto made a face. "I'm skipping lunch today. Why don't you go ahead? I think I'll stay here."

"I'm… I'm not hungry," Hinata said semi-truthfully. She couldn't eat knowing that it was her entire fault Naruto was starving himself. "I'd rather stay here, too…" _With you._

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked skeptically.

Hinata nodded.

"You don't have to skip lunch because of me."

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are." Naruto smiled when she blushed. "You're a terrible liar."

Still… It made him _happy_ that she wanted to keep him company.

* * *

"All right, Naruto. You need to perform the _bushin no jutsu_ to pass the ninjutsu part of the final exam. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei."

Naruto eyed the shiny new ninja headbands on the desk in front of Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei, the silver-haired assistant-teacher. Each one had the leaf emblem of Konoha engraved on a metal plate that was sewn onto the fabric. He had dreamed of owning one of those for years. He was so close!

_The bushin no jutsu is the one thing I'm not very good at. But… I have to do this!_

"_Bushin no jutsu_!"

The bursts of smoke from the creation of _many_ clones blinded Iruka for a moment. When the smoke cleared, Iruka was looking at a _dozen_ Narutos. The original and _eleven_ perfect clones! Iruka gaped.

"What do you think, Sensei? Do I pass?" Twelve matching blondes laughed at the flabbergast expressions on his teachers' faces.

Iruka shook his head and berated himself for underestimating his favorite student.

_I was actually worried about Naruto not passing. He could never perform a working clone before, but now he just made eleven! What a guy…_ Iruka grinned ruefully. _He's certainly a surprising student. I should have known he'd find a way._

"Congratulations, Naruto! That's an impressive number of clones. Most students only produced three clones. I think I can even give you a few points for extra credit. What do you think, Mizuki-sensei?"

"Oh, certainly. That many clones! Naruto should get a few extra points for that," Mizuki smiled pleasantly. "Congratulations, Naruto. You surprised me."

"You pass," Iruka said as he handed Naruto his new _hitai-ate_ – Naruto accepted it with a trembling hand.

"I did it! _Yes_!"

Neither Iruka nor Naruto noticed the dark look that crossed Mizuki's face in that moment.

* * *

The grounds immediately outside the Academy building were overflowing with people. Many parents had come to the Academy on this special day to congratulate their children on a job well done. (Hyuuga Hiashi was not one of them.) Even the Sandaime was there; he had stopped by to make a speech and to congratulate all the new graduates. To avoid the crowd – and the dark looks being shot in Naruto's direction – Naruto and Hinata searched for a more secluded spot. They found it a short distance away: a lonely wooden swing hanging from a tall tree bordering the premises. Hinata sat on the swing rocking back and forth slightly. Her feet never left the ground. Naruto leaned against the trunk of the tree and relaxed.

"We did it, Hinata-chan! We passed! We're finally ninja!" Naruto was practically dancing on air. In his excitement, he had forgotten all about his hunger and exhaustion. Who cared about food and sleep? He was a _real_ ninja!

"Yes, we did." Hinata giggled at his enthusiasm – and at the way Naruto constantly reached up to adjust and readjust his _hitai-ate_. He wore it proudly on his forehead. Hers was tied comfortably around her neck.

"This is so awesome! We'll get to take missions outside of the village now! We can go places and see things! Maybe we'll get to protect a feudal lord! Or rescue a princess! We can…"

Hinata tried her best to be happy as she listened to her best friend talk about the future. She didn't want to ruin Naruto's moment. She was honestly happy that they had passed. But… at the same time, she wished with all her heart that they hadn't. Graduation meant being placed on a genin team and being sent out on missions. Graduation meant no more lazy days at the Academy. Most of all, graduation meant that she would no longer get to see Naruto every day.

(It _hurt_ that Naruto didn't seem bothered by that at all. Wouldn't he miss her, too?)

"… and I'm taking another step towards becoming the Hokage!"

Naruto glanced over at his friend concerned. Hinata was too quiet. She hadn't said a single word in the last few minutes. In fact, she looked… sad. "Hinata-chan? What's wrong? Why aren't you happy?"

"It's nothing, Naruto-kun," Hinata forced a smile. "I'm just sad that things are changing."

"Cheer up, Hinata-chan! This is _good_ change. Now we can go on missions together and show everyone what we can do!" he said encouragingly. At his words, Hinata was even more distressed than before.

"Missions together?" her face fell. "That's just it, Naruto-kun. I… I thought you knew. We… we're _not_ going to go on missions together."

Naruto froze and he stared at her in shock. _Not… together?_

"_What_?! What do you mean by that?"

"Don't you remember? As new genin, we'll be assigned to teams for missions and training."

"Yeah. So?"

"We're not going to be placed on the same team," Hinata said softly.

"Why not?" Naruto demanded. "We make a great team!"

"The teams are organized so that all the teams will be balanced. For example, the Rookie of the Year is often placed with a mid-ranked student and the lowest-ranked student in the class. You and I… we're ranked too high and too close together for them to place us on the same team."

It was true.

After all the scores had been totaled, Sasuke was named the Rookie of the Year – beating out Naruto by a small margin. (Naruto had grumbled about that a little – if only he hadn't been so tired during the taijutsu exam!) Naruto had ranked second. And Hinata had ranked third.

"You mean…" Naruto stared wide-eyed at Hinata.

"Yes. It's likely that we'll be put in separate teams."

"They can't _do_ that!"

But they _could_; they probably _would_. And Naruto knew it.

"Don't they ever make exceptions?" he asked almost desperately.

Hinata nodded slowly.

"Yes. Sometimes, but…" she bit her lip, "but usually only when they're putting together a specific team that they _know_ will work together, like the famous Shika-Ino-Cho team. No matter what their scores are or how they ranked, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji will probably be on the same team. That's because their fathers and grandfathers worked so well together and their families' fighting styles are so complementary. During the last Great Ninja War, the Shika-Ino-Cho team was vital to the success of many battles.

"Our circumstances are different. There's no real reason to make an exception for us."

_That's not fair!_ Naruto wanted to shout – except he knew better than _anyone_ that life was _never_ fair. So he held his tongue. The only signs of his distress were white knuckles… followed by a string of expletives that made Hinata blush.

Naruto's joy at finally graduating evaporated like drops of water under the desert sun. An unhappy silence fell upon them.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata said hesitantly a few minutes later. "I have to go. Father is expecting me home early today – and I promised Hanabi-chan that I'd tell her all about the graduation exam. But… I'm excused from my lessons tomorrow. Father's advisors are meeting with a trader from Snow Country to negotiate a new contract. Would you like to go to Ichiraku tomorrow? We can celebrate our graduation with a bowl of Ichiraku-san's special ramen."

"Yeah. That sounds good," Naruto faked a smile that didn't fool Hinata at all. Not even the thought of Ichiraku's special ramen could cheer him up. "See you tomorrow, Hinata-chan."

As he watched her walk away, Naruto clamped down on a sudden urge to run after her and stop her from going. He straddled the swing that Hinata had just vacated and tried to ignore the horrible thought that _Hinata was leaving him_. He was being stupid. Hinata was just going home. He'd see her again tomorrow. Then he'd see her again on Monday for their genin team assignments. And even _if_ they ended up on different genin teams, Hinata would never abandon him.

_I'm just being stupid. That's all. We'll always be best friends. I know it._

But it wasn't enough! The sick feeling inside him refused to go away. When he finally lost sight of Hinata in the distance, that sick feeling only intensified. In her absence, the muttered whispers that he barely noticed before were suddenly as loud as if they were being yelled directly into his ears.

"Hey, that kid over there… Isn't he _that_ kid? What were they thinking allowing someone like _him_ to pass?"

"Hmph. It doesn't matter if he has a _hitai-ate_. He's still a disgrace."

"Maybe he'll die on a mission. Let's hope he does."

"If he becomes a ninja, it's only going to cause trouble because he's really…"

"Shh! It's forbidden to say anything more than that."

Naruto closed his eyes. He wished he could close his ears, too. He touched the new _hitai-ate _on his forehead. He'd worked hard to earn it. But now… he almost wanted to give it back. He wanted to stay at the Academy for another year – where he was guaranteed to see Hinata every single day.

_There has to be a way for us to be on the same team! I need to find Iruka-sensei!_ As their teacher, Iruka had to have some influence in how the teams were put together. _If I ask him, maybe he'll put me on Hinata's team._

A lonely wooden swing swayed in the breeze.

* * *

**30 minutes ago…**

Iruka clapped politely at the end of the Hokage's speech. It was inspirational, as always. The Hokage was a very good public speaker. But after hearing similar speeches year after year, it was hard to get really excited about it – as the new graduates and their parents obviously were. Now that the ceremony was over, it was time for the Academy teachers to mingle with parents and ex-students. Graduation Day always made him feel a bit nostalgic.

Iruka was surprised when the Hokage moved through the crowd to stand beside him. He dipped his head in respect.

"Hokage-sama."

"Iruka, I need to talk to you later. Come by my office after you're done here."

Iruka felt a flicker of concern. What did the Hokage want to talk about? But the Hokage's neutral expression gave nothing away.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto burst into the teacher's lounge in the Academy building and came to an abrupt stop. "Oh! Mizuki-sensei! I didn't know you were still here, too."

Iruka was sitting at the end of a long conference table making small talk with Mizuki. Both of his teachers looked surprised to see him, but Mizuki recovered first.

"Hello, Naruto," Mizuki said with a smile. "Iruka and I were just reminiscing about your class. Time sure flies! I remember when you were the dead last student in the class."

Naruto colored in embarrassment. "Yeah. I got better though!"

"You certainly did!" Iruka agreed. "I'm very proud of you Naruto. You've come a long way."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei!"

"What are you doing here? Did you need something?" Iruka asked kindly.

"I have a really, really _big_ favor to ask you, Iruka-sensei."

"What is it, Naruto?"

"It's about our genin team assignments. You're the one who organizes the new genin teams, right? So you're the one who chooses the people we'll be working with, right?"

Iruka blinked in surprise at the blonde's strange line of questions.

"It's not quite so simple, Naruto," he explained. "As your teacher, I make some recommendations. I don't make all the decisions. The Hokage and all of the jounin who are going to teach a genin team will review your files and Academy grades. They're the ones who make the final decisions."

"But you're our teacher, so your recommendations carry a lot of weight. Right?"

Iruka nodded, puzzled by the hopeful glint in Naruto's eyes.

"Then can you please, _please_ recommend that Hinata and I go on the same team?"

_Ah... So __**that's**__ what you want._ Now Naruto's questions made sense. Iruka shook his head ruefully. _I should have seen it coming._

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't make a recommendation just because _you_ want me to. The teams are often chosen based on a number of factors, including ranking and grades. It's a system that's been proven to work again and again. We do that to ensure all the teams are balanced."

"_Please_, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto begged. "Can't you make an exception just this once?"

"I'm sorry. I can't…"

Naruto almost growled in frustration. How was he going to convince Iruka to put them on the same team?

"Kilohertz!" he blurted. "It's like… Hinata and I… we have kilohertz!"

At Iruka's blank expression… Naruto cursed silently. He wasn't explaining himself properly! His lack of sleep was finally catching up with him. He was struggling to put together a coherent _sentence_ – let alone a coherent argument! He took a deep breath and tried to focus…

One of the last topics they'd covered in class before graduation was communication devices used in the field – including short wave radios. Iruka had glossed over the science behind radios in class because all they really needed to know was how to _use_ a radio – not how to _build_ one. However, in his efforts to exhaust his mental energy, Naruto had borrowed several very basic science textbooks from Iruka's personal collection – one of which had been a simple book on the physics of harmonics… He had re-read it that morning, just before the start of the first exam.

… _kilohertz… something to do with kilohertz… and… That's it!_ Naruto snapped his fingers.

"Wait! It wasn't kilohertz. It was _frequency_! Hinata and I… we have _resonance frequency_!"

"… resonance… frequency?" Iruka asked bemused.

"In that book you loaned me – _Simple Physics, Volume Two: the Science of Harmonics_. Remember? Things in nature have a natural frequency. And if you find that frequency… you have resonance! And if you have resonance, then a small, applied force can become… big! Really big!"

Iruka rocked back on his heels stunned at Naruto's choice of analogy. True, he had loaned the book to Naruto two weeks ago, but he hadn't _really_ expected Naruto to actually read it, understand it, and then use it in an argument against him!

_Naruto constantly surprises me. I should be used to it by now._

"Naruto… Did you _read_ that book?"

"Yes."

"The _whole_ book?"

"Yes!"

"And you _understood_ it?"

"_Yes!_" Naruto huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance. _Geez!_ Okay. So academics wasn't one of his strengths – and he wasn't like Hinata or Sakura who seemed to absorb everything that was put in writing – but he wasn't _that_ bad! Was he? _Was he?_

"Well… I didn't understand _all_ of it, but I understood enough, I think."

Naruto shook his head impatiently.

"That's not the point. The point is… Hinata and I… We're better together than apart. If you put us on the same team, you'll get resonance frequency. We work well together. We already have amazing teamwork! We can predict each other's moves because we train together all the time. But if you put us on different teams, then you won't get that same resonance frequency. Our separate teams won't be as nearly as effective as the two of us together."

"I'm impressed, Naruto. That's a very good argument. But I can't…"

"_Please_!" Naruto pleaded. "I want to be on Hinata's team. I'll do anything you want!"

Mizuki watched the argument in silence. (In the heat of the moment, neither Iruka nor Naruto remembered that Mizuki was still in the room.) He wanted to laugh. This was _perfect_. His plan to use the demon brat had been ruined when it passed the ninjutsu exam. But now… Now he had it – and an even _better_ plan. He smirked.

_This is too easy. If I play my cards right, I can kill Naruto after all…and I'll get the white eyes of the Byakugan. A very nice bonus!_

"Naruto does make several valid points, Iruka-sensei. Maybe you could make an exception for him," Mizuki said. He saw Naruto's face light up at his supportive words and felt a deep satisfaction. _Raising your hopes, just to crush them later. What a delicious game!_

"Mizuki-sensei? You know I can't make decisions based on personal preference." Iruka glared his colleague in disapproval. "I'm very sorry, Naruto."

* * *

Naruto slumped over the waist high railing that enclosed the roof of the Academy building. The Academy building wasn't the tallest building in Konoha, but it was taller than most of the surrounding buildings. From here, he could see most of the village. The sun was low in the sky; its light cast a warm orange glow over everything it touched. It would be sunset soon. It reminded him of Hinata's birthday and the sunset they watched from the Hokage Monument.

His hand closed around the pendant that hung over his heart. The tangible symbol of his bond with Hinata made him feel a little bit better.

"Iruka-sensei wasn't being mean."

Naruto looked up in surprise.

"Mizuki-sensei?"

His teacher stood beside him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I can tell you're still very upset. But Iruka-sensei is a good guy. He's just trying to do his best for everyone. Don't be mad at him."

"I know," Naruto sighed. Iruka was one of the few people who had always looked out for him. He couldn't stay angry with Iruka for long even if he wanted to. "It's just… I want to be on Hinata's team so much!"

"Would you really do anything to be on her team?"

"Yes!"

"In that case, I guess I'll tell you a big secret."

"A secret?"

The falling sun cast a blood red tint over the village.

To be continued…

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) Cliffhanger! I'm so evil. LOL. Don't worry – and please don't kill me! I won't leave you hanging too long! I promise! The second half of this chapter is about 50 percent done. I should have it finished within a week or so.

(2) I'm so sorry about the long delay between updates for this story.

(3) FYI: I am easily distracted by shiny objects and cute little plot bunnies. If you haven't read them yet, I invite you to check out the other two NaruHina fics I wrote in August – instead of working on _this_ fic. _A Push in the Right Direction_ is a oneshot that I wrote for fun. Due to popular demand, I _might_ write a second chapter to it eventually – after I finish _One Small Step_. _A Delicate Condition_ is a new multi-chaptered fic.

(4) Chapter 9 – Part B Sneak Peek: Hmm… After thinking it over, I'd better not. The sneak peek that I just deleted was a really, really _bad_ cliffhanger. I'm not going to do that to you guys.

(5) I finally upped the rating of this fic to T.

(6) Please review. Thanks!


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